Love Song Requiem
by LunarEclipse360
Summary: sequel to ABKAHT "What did I do, Gabriella? What did I possibly do to make you hate me?" he asked, his eyes searching hers for an answer. "You hurt me," she said softly "You promised you wouldn't hurt me again." *Can be read as a stand alone*
1. Chapter 1

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I don't and never will own HSM unless by some miracle_**

**A/N: this is the long awaited sequel to _A Better Kiss A Hotter Touch. _I wanted to get this out now. The next chapter of _Taking Over Me _will be out soon. I don't know about _Beautiful Disaster_, it might take me some time. I've decided to put _Keeping Us A Secret _on hiatus. If I don't come up with a new idea for it, I might discontinue it. _Never Far Behind _will be off of hiatus, I'm hoping, by December. The banner is where it should be. This is another fic that will contain flashbacks but the flashbacks will be a whole chapter instead of part. I will usually tell you which chapter is and isn't a flashback but I might forget so it'll be up to you to notice the difference.**

_Prologue_

Gabriella stared out at the stars as they twinkled against the dark sky. She breathed in the cool air, wrapping her arms around her barely clothed body as the wind picked up. She stood on her balcony, clothed in only a oversized t-shirt and panties.

Her mind, however, was not on how cold the night was. It was on the fact that in less than eight hours she would no longer be a high school student. She would be a high school graduate and a soon-to-be freshmen in college. It scared and excited her. But her fear was not because she would be attending college, it was the fact that while she would be attending college on one side of the country and her boyfriend would be on the other.

She sighed and tightened her grip on her upper body. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her eyes snapped open when she felt two arms snake around her waist and pull her against a warm body.

"What are you doing up?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same question." she turned around, finding herself staring deeply into her boyfriend's ocean blue eyes. "So what's on your mind?"

"What makes you think there's something on my mind?" she asked as he pushed her gently against the banister of the balcony.

"Well for starters you don't sleep when you're thinking about something." she sighed and he smirked. "So what's bothering you?"

"I don't know." she wrapped her arms around his neck and played with the hairs on the back of his neck. "Just...everything I guess."

"Elaborate for me."

"We'll be graduating in a couple of hours. No more high school, no more avoiding teachers...no more us."

"Who says there will be no more us?"

"Face it Troy, I'm going to NYU and you'll be at UCLA. They're like a world's away."

"That doesn't mean we won't get to see each other. We still have this summer and then Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the holidays afterwards until next summer."

"But then there's all those days that we won't be able to see each other. It's gonna be hard not seeing you everyday."

"But you will see me." she raised her eyebrow, giving him a confused look. "In your dreams of course." she rolled her eyes and gave him a smirk.

"And what makes you think I'll be dreaming of you?"

"Because when haven't you dreamt of me."

"There has been days."

"Right." he said dragging it out. "Well for the nights I've actually slept next to you, I've heard you moan my name in your sleep." she blushed and looked away from him. "Not that I don't mind." he said, pushing her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "After all, it does turn me on." the hand still on her waist made its way up her side. She bit her bottom lip, keeping back a moan.

"Troy." she moaned and his smirk turned into a grin.

"Now that's what I wanted to hear." he said before attacking her lips. She kissed him back with much ferocity. He picked her up her took her back into her room. Setting her gently on her bed, he climbed on top of her, not breaking their connected lips. Her hand found its way to his hair, grasping a chuck of it gently.

Her other hand cupped his cheek as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. His hands found its way up the oversized shirt and up to her breasts cupping them softly. He ran his thumbs over both of her nipples, causing a soft moan to vibrate in her throat. She wrapped both legs around his torso, pulling him closer.

"Gabi?" came the voice of her mother from the other side of the door and Gabriella pushed him off of her, onto the floor. Gabriella sat up quickly as the door opened. "You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"I heard a thump before I came in. What happened?"

"I fell that's all."

"Oh okay. You should get some sleep. You have a big day today." Gabriella nodded and her mother smiled at her. The second the door closed, Gabriella rushed to the other side of her bed.

"Oh my God. Troy are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine. Just peachy."

"I'm so sorry about that." Troy shook his head and sat up.

"It's okay babe. We didn't expect your mom to walk in." she nodded and smiled sadly at him. "I guess the mood is ruined huh?"

"Sadly, yes." he nodded and sighed. He got off the floor and stood up.

"Well I should get going anyway. Like your mom said, we have a big day today." he grabbed pieces of his clothing off the floor and began getting dressed. "Not to mention I don't think I could explain why I wasn't in bed all night. My parents wouldn't understand that I would rather sleep next to my girlfriend than in my bed by myself." she grinned and he leaned over planting a soft kiss on her mouth. "Love you."

"Love you too." he leaned in for another kiss, this one filled with more passion than the last.

"Bye." he said and left her bedroom by her balcony. Gabriella sighed and laid back on her bed.

_Today's going to be a long day._ she thought to herself and drifted off to sleep.

-

-

"Mom I can't find my shoes." Gabriella yelled as she raced around the living room.

"Did you try the front closet?" Gabriella checked the front closet and found her shoes sitting there, waiting for her.

"Thank ma." she put on her shoes and walked back into the living room. "Where is he?"

"Calm down Gabriella. I'm sure he's on his way here." the door bell rang and Gabriella's eyes lit up. "There he is." Gabriella ran to the door to open it. She instantly squealed when she saw her father standing on the other side.

"Daddy you came." she said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Of course I did. I wouldn't miss my baby girl's graduation for nothing." he said as he hugged her back. His eyes moved over to his ex-wife, standing in the doorway of the living room smiling at them. "Hello Theresa. It's been a while, hasn't it." he said and pulled away from his daughter.

"Yes it has Frank." they smiled at each other before embracing. Gabriella smiled at her parents, she knew why they divorced but she didn't understand why when they clearly were still in love with each other. A throat cleared, bringing Gabriella to the present and she turned around to see Troy smiling at her.

"Hey." she said.

"Hey. Am I interrupting something?"

"Oh no." Gabriella turned to her parents, noticing the look of curiosity on her father's face. She took Troy's hand and pulled him inside. "Um Troy this is my father. Daddy this is Troy, my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Montez."

"Same here Troy." the two men shook hands before Troy turned back to Gabriella.

"We better get going. They want us there early so we can line up." she nodded her head and smiled at her parents.

"I'll see you guys later."

"Okay honey." her mother said before the two teenagers left the house. They hopped into Troy's car and started off towards the school.

"I think my dad likes you." Gabriella said and Troy smiled.

"I hope so. I mean I am dating his daughter so I do want him to like me." Gabriella smiled and grabbed the hand that wasn't on the steering wheel. He squeezed her hand and ran his thumb across her skin.

"I can't believe this is it. We're about to graduate."

"I know it's scary isn't it."

"Yeah. But I'm willing to face the future as long as you're by my side." he smiled and lifted her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.

"You know I love you right?"

"I know and I love you too." she turned back to the road, her hand still in his. She didn't know what exactly her future would bring but she was sure that Troy would always be by her side.


	2. Chapter 2

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: Why can't I own this? Oh, wait. I do own this...just not the characters._**

**A/N: It took me a while to update this but I did it. I know you're all happy about that.**

_Chapter 2_

**Eight Years Later**

**New York City**

"_What's taking him so long?"_ Gabriella asked herself as she sat in a small restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. She glanced at her watch for what must have been the tenth time that night. Her boyfriend had called her early this morning to tell her to meet him at this restaurant at half past six. Well, it was six forty-five and there was still no sign of him. She finally caught sight of him walking through the door and she sighed in relief. "You're late," she said as he took the seat across from her.

"Sorry about that. I got held up at the office." She smiled and nodded, understanding his explanation. He was the most prestigious lawyer in New York City and the richest. It only took him three years after college to get to that level. "So, you ready to order?"

"I've been ready." He smiled and nodded, quickly looking over his menu.

"Okay, I know what I want." He set his menu down and called over the waiter. After ordering their food, he reached his hand across the table and grabbed hers. "Thanks for meeting me here."

"Why wouldn't I? You are my boyfriend." He chuckled and nodded.

"True. So how was your day?"

"My day was hectic. My boss had me running all over the office today."

"At least you didn't get caught up in all the madness."

"True."

The conversation continued from there and ended when their food came. They sat in silence as they ate their food, something that she had coped with but never got used to. After they finished, the waiter came and took away the empty plates.

"Gabriella, can I ask you something?" She nodded and looked at him curiously. "What's the one thing you wish for?"

"To be married before I turn thirty." He nodded and grabbed her hand in his.

"I think I can make that wish come true," he said as he got down on one knee in front of her.

"Oh. My God."

"From the first moment I met you, I knew you were the one for me. You're sweet, you're smart, you're beautiful. You're everything a guy could ever want in a girl. Everything a guy could ever want in a wife. I'm asking you, right here and right now, will you make me the luckiest man on this green earth and become my wife?" He opened the small velvet box in his hand and she gasped. She was speechless. She touched a hand to her mouth to keep her from crying out and nodded.

"Yes, Daniel Tyler. I'll marry you." He smiled and slipped the ring on her finger. He stood up and leaned over, kissing her on the lips. Everyone around them clapped for the happy couple before returning to their dinner. The two kissed a few more times before he went back to his seat.

Daniel had dropped her off a few minutes later and Gabriella quickly ran upstairs to tell her roommate and call her best friend.

"What's gotten you so happy?" asked her roommate, April.

"Daniel proposed," she said holding up her ring finger with the diamond ring around it.

"No," April said crossing the room to look at the ring. Gabriella nodded and smiled.

"He did it at dinner."

"This is awesome, Gabriella. Just think. Soon you'll be Mrs. Daniel Tyler." Gabriella's smile faltered a little as April continued to rant. "I gotta go call Amber." April ran into her room and Gabriella shook her head.

"She's more excited than I am," she said to herself before going into her room. She picked up her cell phone and dialed her best friend's number.

"Danforth residence."

"Taylor? It's me, Gabriella."

"Hey, Gabi. What's up?"

"A lot of things. For one, I'm getting married." Taylor squealed and Gabriella pulled her ear away from the phone. "Ow, my ear."

"Sorry. Oh my God. When?"

"Daniel proposed to me at dinner tonight."

"Gabriella this is great."

"Is it?"

"Oh, come on, Gabs. You can't let your past get in the way of your future."

"How can I not?"

"Are you happy with Daniel?"

"Of course I am. You know that."

"Then stop letting Troy ruin it for you." Gabriella sighed and nodded.

"You're right. I need to just forget Troy and move on."

"That's the spirit."

"By the way, have you heard from him?" Taylor sighed and Gabriella feared the answer.

"He, uh...he moved back last month."

"O-Oh."

"I haven't talked to him but Chad has. Supposedly, he's asked about you like where you are."

"Did Chad tell him anything?"

"No. I told him not to. If he wants to know where you are, then he should have never left." Gabriella nodded and sighed. "Well, I gotta go. There's a lot I have to get done around here."

"Tay, aren't you pregnant?"

"So? That doesn't mean I'm going to let my house become a mess."

"Shouldn't your husband be doing all the work?"

"Chad is useless. If I want something done right, I need to do it myself."

"Remember, you married the guy."

"I know and I love him to death. Well, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Bye." Gabriella ended the call and leaned back on her bed.

"Hey, Gabriella." April stopped when she saw the distant look on her roommate's face. "You okay?" Gabriella turned her eyes to her and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." April nodded and bit her lip.

"Well, Amber wants to throw a congratulations party for you."

"Oh, great." Gabriella sat up and turned towards the door. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow night."

"How is she going to be able to throw it tomorrow night?"

"It's Amber. She can do anything." Gabriella giggled and nodded.

"So true. Where is it?"

"Amber's place, of course. You're going right."

"Well, sure. I mean, it won't be a congratulations party without me, now would it?"

"No, I guess not," April said with a laugh. "Well, I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning." Gabriella nodded and watched April leave the doorway.

So much was running through her mind. Her engagement, her conversation with Taylor, everything. She knew Taylor was right. She had to forget about her past in order to be truly happy with her future, but how could she do that when she knew deep down she knew she could never forget. Troy was her first love and you never forget your first love.


	3. Chapter 3

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: Nada, nothing, zip_**

_Chapter 3_

Gabriella walked around her room, searching for her shoes. She just had them last night so she couldn't understand where they went that fast. From the corner of her eye, something shiny caught her attention. She walked over to her dresser and spotted her gold bracelet.

"_What is this doing out?"_ she asked herself before going to the door. "April?"

"Yeah?" her roommate answered, coming out of the bathroom.

"Did you borrow this?" she asked, holding up the bracelet.

"Yeah. I wore it the last time Frank and I went out."

"April," Gabriella whined. "I told you to ask before you borrow my stuff. You could have at least put it back in my jewelry box."

"Sorry. I thought you wouldn't mind since you don't even wear it."

"Still, this bracelet has value to it."

"Value as in monetary, or value as in sentimental?"

"Sentimental."

"Ooo. So who gave it to you? Daniel?" Gabriella shook her head and tucked the bracelet in her pocket.

"No. Someone I've long forgotten."

"Well, you must have remembered since you still find sentimental value in that bracelet." Gabriella mused over April's words and sighed, knowing April was right.

"I've gotta go or I'm gonna be late." Gabriella slipped on her coat and walked out into the morning New York air.

**June 12, 2008**

Troy walked up to the Montez household with an agenda in mind. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. Seconds later the door opened and everything he wanted to say flew out of his mind when he spotted his girlfriend standing in front of him with very _revealing_ clothes on.

"Hey, Troy." She leaned in and kissed him. "What's up?"

"I don't remember." She gave him an odd look and put a hand on her hip. "Could you, uh, go put something else on?"

"Why? Afraid someone will see me?"

"No. I'm afraid I might jump you right here without caring who might see." She blushed and nodded before heading upstairs. He made his way into the living room, trying to calm his boiling blood and sat on the couch. Gabriella came down minutes later and went to sit next to him.

"Better?"

He nodded. "Much." She smiled and kissed his lips.

"So, what did you come over for?"

"To see if you wanted to go see a movie with me."

"In the middle of the day?"

"Well, I thought afterwards I could buy you your birthday present."

"But my birthday's not until next month...you're not gonna be here, are you?" He sighed and shook his head. "Why not?"

"Since I got into UCLA on a basketball scholarship, they want me to come to the school earlier than everyone else. Chad and I leave the day before your birthday."

"Oh."

"But I promise I'll call you. I just don't want you to be mad at me." She smiled softly and laced her fingers with his.

"I'm not mad. Upset, yes, but not mad." She sighed and leaned against him. "That means we only have three weeks left together."

"Sad to say it, but yeah."

She looked up at him. "Then let's make the best of it."

"So, will you go with me to the movies?" She smiled and nodded.

"Sure." She stood up and he followed. "Just let me go put on my shoes." He nodded and watched her disappear upstairs. She came back down as quickly as she had gone up and followed Troy out the door.

He helped her into his car and they headed towards the movie theater. As they waited in line with their fingers laced, a familiar face walked up to Troy.

"If it isn't the love birds," Heather said as she smiled at Troy.

"What do you want, Heather?" Troy asked.

"Nothing. I just came to see a movie. The same as you."

"Well, there must be a..."

"Heather," came a voice, cutting Troy off. The three turned around and another familiar face approached them.

"Hey, James," Heather said, kissing him.

"When did they start dating?" Troy asked Gabriella.

"I have no idea." They watched Heather and James make out for a good two minutes before pulling apart. James then turned his attention on the two teens.

"Hey, Gabriella. Troy," he said to his ex-girlfriend and ex-teammate.

"Hey," Gabriella said nervously. She didn't know why she still acted this way around him. They had been broken up for a good two months and she was the one who broke up with him.

"Sup?" Troy said and Gabriella nudged him. "What?" She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Gabriella turned around just as it was their turn. She grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the cashier.

"How may I help you?" asked the girl behind the counter.

"Two tickets for _Wanted_."

"Okay, that'll be twenty-two fifty." Troy pulled out his wallet and handed the girl two twenties. She printed the tickets and handed him those and his change. "Enjoy the movie."

"Thanks." Gabriella linked her arm with his and they headed towards the concession stand. "You want anything?"

"Not really."

"Wanna share something?"

"Okay." He ordered one large popcorn and a large soda and they went to the theater their movie was playing in.

They took a seat in the last row, towards the middle and Troy lifted the arm rest. He set the popcorn between them and put the soda on the other side of him. They spent the first half of the movie actually watching it to finish off their snacks and the other half was spent trying to see who's tongue could go further down the other's throat.

Troy's hand wandered up her skirt, his fingers feeling the soft skin of her thigh. As the two moved closer to each other, they accidentally knocked over the partly empty popcorn bag. They pulled apart and looked at the bag before they started to laugh. A loud 'shh' came from the row in front of them and Troy rolled his eyes.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered to her as he stood up. He helped her up and they left the movie theater.

"So where to next?" she asked as she buckled her seat belt.

"To get your birthday present," he said as he turned the car on. He drove out of the parking lot and headed towards the mall. After parking the car, they walked into the mall and Gabriella turned to him.

"So...what are you getting me?" He grinned and pulled her towards him.

"You have to wait and see," he said, planting a kiss on her lips. "Come on." He laced their fingers and dragged her towards the back of the mall. He took her into a clothing store and set her in front of a rack full of dresses. "Pick one."

"Okay, but how is this..." she stopped when she turned around to find he wasn't there. She sighed and turned back to the rack. "I might as well." She went through the dresses and a few minutes later found one that she liked. It was a short, black dress that had a silk design that circled the bust line before spiraling down to the bottom of the dress where a lace trimming decorated the hem.

"Find anything you like?" Gabriella nearly jumped out of her skin and turned around.

"For Christ's sake, Troy, you scared the hell out of me." He chuckled and kissed her softly.

"Sorry, love. So, what did you find?"

"This." She showed him the dress and he nodded, approvingly.

"I can already imagine that on you." She smiled and looked at the dress. "I can also imagine taking that off of you," he whispered into her ear and she blushed.

"Troy," she whined and he chuckled.

"I thought by now you'd be used to that."

"I don't think I'll ever be used to that."

"Come," he said taking her hand. "Let's go pay for the dress."

They paid for the dress and left the mall. As they walked back to the car, Gabriella turned to him, one question in her mind.

"Where were you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you were gone the whole time I was picking out a dress."

"Oh, yeah. I had something that I needed to do."

"Like..."

"You'll find out soon enough," he said with a smirk. They climbed into his car and he drove them to a small park near the edge of town. They walked around until sunset then made their way back to his car.

"Today was perfect," she said as she sat in his lap in the passenger seat. They were watching the sunset, which happened to be on Gabriella's side of the car.

"Yeah, it was, but I think I have something else that might make it even more perfect." She sat up and looked at him.

"Like what?" He smiled and reached into his pocket, producing a gold bracelet from it. She gasped as he showed it to her. "Troy, this is beautiful."

"I know. Just like you." She smiled and he put the bracelet on her wrist. She kissed him softly before turning back to the sunset.

**A/N: who else finds that movies are too expensive nowadays?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I only own the plot to the story_**

**A/N: Okay since some of you didn't seem to catch it, if I put a date, it's a flashback. Memories are in italics. beware of the sex scene at the bottom. It's easy to spot since it's all in italics. Read only if you want to. If you don't, then skip over it.**

_Chapter 4_

**Albuquerque, New Mexico**

Twenty-six year old Troy Bolton stood in front of the basketball net, staring at it. He had been in that position for the past five minutes, his mind wandering. Too wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't notice his bushy haired friend walk up beside him.

"You okay?" Chad asked, snapping Troy out of his trance.

"Yeah," Troy said before throwing the ball into the net.

"You sure? You seem out of it."

"Of course I'm out of it, Chad. When I left this place, she was still here. I come back and she's gone."

"What did you expect? You left her, not the other way around." Troy sighed and dribbled the ball before throwing it in. It bounced off the backboard and flew into the bushes.

"I wish you wouldn't remind me."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. You wanna go do something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Anything. Something to take my mind off of her."

"You know that's not possible." Troy grinned and shook his head.

"You know me too well, Chad."

"I've known you since Pre-K. If I don't know you that well, then I've failed as a best friend."

"So true," he said with a chuckle. "But seriously. I need to take my mind off of her. If not for a couple of days, at least for a few hours."

"I would love to, but I'm married now." Troy sighed and nodded.

"Fine. Then you want to play one on one?"

"Sure." Troy went to go get the ball from the bushes before passing it to Chad, beginning their game.

After an hour, the two took a break. They sat on top of the picnic tables that sat not far away from the basketball court. They spent the next hour talking about their high school days.

"Do you remember Adam Farmer?" Chad asked.

"You mean the one who thought he was so cool and you ended up pushing him into his pool at one of his parties?"

"Yeah. Him."

"What about him?"

"I saw him about three months ago washing cars for the car wash near Oak Street."

"Are you serious?" Troy asked looking at his best friend.

"I'm so serious."

"And here I thought he would be some business guy working at brokerage firm." Troy chuckled and shook his head. "Who would've thought."

"I know I didn't," Chad said laughing. Seconds later his phone went off and he looked at the caller id. "Uh-oh. The wife's calling. I better go."

"Alright, dude. Later."

"Later." Troy and Chad exchanged handshakes and Chad left, leaving Troy by himself. His mind slowly drifted back to Gabriella and he shook his head to rid his thoughts of her. He stood up and left the courtyard. He climbed into his black Pontiac G6 and sped off towards his apartment in downtown Albuquerque.

He quickly went upstairs and switched on the shower. He took off his shirt and threw it into the corner of his room. He walked over to his closet and searched for a clean shirt to wear. He picked a tan _Abercrombie & Fitch_ polo shirt and went over to his dresser to get out a clean pair of boxers and jeans. Before he could proceed to the bathroom, his cell phone went off and he reached for it from off of his night table.

"Hello?"

"Yo Troy. What's up?" Troy smirked and shook his head.

"Nothing much, James. You?"

"Same as always. You're coming down to the club right?"

"Of course. I'm about to hop into the shower now."

"Okay. Then I'll see you in a few."

"Yeah. Later." He ended the call with the one guy he never thought he would become friends with and went into the bathroom. During college, somehow Troy had become very close with his girlfriend's ex. He didn't know how it happened, but it did. Now the two had been completely inseparable.

Troy had mellowed out after high school once Gabriella became a big part of his life. He didn't party much because of her. He found that he would rather spend his time with her than out partying the night away, but now that she was no longer part of his life, he found his night life returning to the way it once was. It still wasn't as strong as it was before he and Gabriella had gotten together, but it caused him to stay out until the sun rose.

He quickly jumped into the shower and jumped back out a few minutes later. He dressed and grabbed his phone and keys from off the night stand. He hurried out of his apartment and made his way back down to his car. In fifteen minutes flat, Troy found himself parked outside the club in which James was meeting him at. He clicked his alarm and walked up to the front door, flashing the bouncer his id.

His blue eyes searched the club for his enemy turned best buddy. He finally found him over by the bar with two girls hanging off of him. Troy smirked and walked over, letting his green eyed friend know of his presence.

"Troy, my man. You made it," he said as the two exchanged a one-armed hug.

"I told you I would."

"Ladies," James said, looking at the two blondes beside him. "This right here is Troy Bolton. He is my best bud and the guy who stole my ex-girlfriend." Troy rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You still blaming me for that?"

"Of course. I mean, come on, Gabriella was hot." Troy's smile faltered a bit at the mention of his ex, but continued to put on a show. "But I guess I couldn't compete with Mr. Playboy. So, Troy, which one of these lovely ladies would you like to call your own for the night?"

"Doesn't matter to me."

"Good. Cause I want Eliza," he said pulling the blonde on his right closer to him. "You can have Tammy." He thrust the other blonde into Troy's direction, causing her to fall into his arms. "Now we're going to dance." James hopped off the bar stool and dragged Eliza over to the dance floor.

"So, Troy," Tammy started, "what should we do?" Troy put on his infamous smirk before leaning closer to her.

"There's a few things I have in mind," he whispered and she giggled.

"I like the way you think." She went to sit on the bar stool and ordered two shots of vodka. She handed one to Troy and raised her glass. "Bottoms up." He raised his glass and drank it down before slamming the glass on the table.

"I think I'll need another." The bartender poured him another shot and Troy downed the second glass. "That's good." He took Tammy's arm and pulled her towards the emptier part of the club. As she shoved her tongue down his throat, his hands found their way to her backside and squeezed both cheeks. She giggled and broke away from the kiss.

"Someone's frisky."

"How about we finish this at my place?" She nodded and he led her out to his car.

-

-

Troy awoke the next morning to the feel of a body next to his. He carefully slid from his place and went into the bathroom, starting the shower. As he stood underneath the shower head, flashes of a time long ago entered his mind just as two arms wrapped around his torso.

"_It's no fun waking up alone." Troy turned around, coming face to face with his girlfriend of four years._

"_You missed me already?"_

"_Of course. You're warm and once you left, it got cold."_

"_I'm sorry, baby." He leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His hands found her waist and pulled her closer to him, her bare breasts pushing against his chest._

_He turned them around so her back was against the wall of the shower. His right hand reached down and pulled her thigh up, causing her to wrap her leg around his waist. He bent down slightly to lift her other leg without breaking the kiss. He wrapped her left leg around his waist and pushed himself into her. _

_Her mouth parted slightly as she let out a soft moan. Troy took this opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. She responded by touching her tongue to his and starting the battle of dominance. He detached his lips from hers and reattached them to her neck, sucking on her weak spot._

"_Oh, Troy," she moaned as her hands wound through his hair. She slightly tilted her head, allowing him more access to her neck. His motions were set to an agonizing pace, one that she wasn't use to. She leant down to his ear and nibbled on his earlobe._

"_Ella," he moaned and she smirked, continuing to nibble. He quickened his pace by the second and she began to loose focus on his ear. She dragged her finger nails across his shoulder blade as she place one hand on his chest._

_She tightened her grip on his waist and leaned her head against the wall. He brought her face down and kissed her lips softly. The kiss lasted until their climax where a harder kiss was exchange, one that left her lips swollen and bruised. He looked at his work and placed soft kisses on them, as if to say he was sorry._

As he came back to the present, he realized that he had indeed just had sex, but not with the person he thought. He was met with the blue eyes of Tammy, the girl he had met the previous night. Her lips were bruised and swollen, just as Gabriella's had been in his flashback. Tammy smiled and ran a hand over his face.

"I knew you were an animal in bed, but I'd never thought that you could be one in the shower, too," she said and wrapped her arms around him. "So, who's Ella?" His eyes darkened and he stepped away from her, letting her legs drop.

"Get out," he said lowly.

"But..."

"I said 'Get. Out,'" he said menacingly. She took the hint and got out. He waited until he heard his front door slam before moving. He turned back to the shower head and sighed. He knew his life would be hard without her, but he never knew he would miss her so much.

**A/N: This story is full of twists and confusion. It'll begin to make sense as the story wraps. I know it's a long shot, but does anyone have any idea what might have happened between the two?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I own absolutely squat_**

**A/N: warning explict memory at the bottom. It's the italicized part towards the end. There's two memories. One's good to read and the other is what the warning is for.**

_Chapter 5_

Her brown eyes glanced over the hoards of people that stood in her best friend's loft apartment. This was more than what she wanted her engagement party to be. She didn't even know half of the people there. She knew they were all of Amber's friends. From the corner of her eye, Gabriella spotted the said brunette walking towards her. Her graceful stride made her seem as if she were walking on air.

"Gabriella, darling, so great to see you again."

"It's great to see you, too, Amber."

Amber Tyler, Daniel's sister and the most successful fashion designer in New York City. Gabriella had met the small brunette through Daniel and the two had become like best friends. The two siblings weren't exactly poor to begin with. Both parents were doctors and even though they didn't approve of Amber's dream to become a fashion designer, they supported her none the less. Now with Daniel's expanding reputation and Amber's new lines premiering all over Europe, their wealth would only increase and Gabriella was the first of the outside world to be thrust into that.

"Amber, is your brother here?"

"Oh, you mean your fiancé?" she asked with a smirk. "He's here, somewhere. He's probably talking to some of his colleagues. Come, let's have a drink."

"Amb, you know I don't drink."

"Just this once. It's a day of celebration, you're supposed to drink and be merry."

"It's not like I'm getting married today."

"No, but you are getting married." Amber grabbed her hand and led her over to the kitchen. She poured Gabriella a glass of white wine and handed it to her. "Drink to good luck."

Gabriella smiled nervously and drunk the wine down. She hated drinking, she always did. For her twenty-first birthday, Troy had taken her to a bar and she drank the entire night. The next morning she woke up with a major headache and ended up puking her guts out.

Amber had disappeared back into the crowd and Gabriella stood there with the glass in her hand. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know most of the people there, so she was basically alone. Minutes later, April walked into the kitchen and she sighed.

"Oh, thank God," she said rushing over to April. "I thought I was gonna be alone."

"You knew I was coming."

"I know, but I didn't know where you were. I don't even know all of these people."

"Just interact with them."

"I don't think you get it, I'm a wallflower. I've been that way my whole life and I'm not changing."

"You can't be this way forever."

"I can and I will."

"Gabriella, being the wallflower will get you nowhere."

"I don't want to go anywhere anyway. I just want to be me and that's who I am. I'm a wallflower."

"Look, do you want me to help you find Daniel?"

"Yes, please," she said with a grin. April rolled her eyes and smiled at her best friend.

"Fine." The two girls made their way through the crowd, trying to find Gabriella's future husband. They finally spotted him talking to his friends.

"Daniel," Gabriella called and he looked over at her. He smiled and motioned for her to come over to him. "Thanks, April."

"No problem." April walked away and Gabriella made her way over to her fiancé.

"Hey, Gabriella," Daniel said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I knew she was beautiful, but I didn't think she would be this beautiful," said one of Daniel's friends.

"Aren't I a lucky man?" Daniel asked and all his friends laughed and nodded. After fifteen minutes of listening to them talk, Gabriella got sick of it. She felt kind of left out.

"Daniel," she said and he looked at her. "I'm gonna go get some fresh air."

"Okay," he said and kissed her forehead. He let her go and she made her way to the balcony. Amber's balcony was spacious and wasn't so confined as the one Gabriella had back in Albuquerque. She had various plant life living on the edges and it made it seem like a small jungle. A small smile appeared on her face as she remembered the rooftop garden Troy had shown her a few days before graduation.

"_Where are you taking me?" Gabriella asked as she walked down the hallway with a blind fold over her eyes._

"_You'll see," Troy said as he tugged on her arm. He opened a door and led her inside. He wondered how he was going to get her up the stairs without giving anything away, so he picked her up bridal style and carried her up._

"_Troy, where are we going?"_

"_You'll see." He reached the top of the stairs and set her back on her feet. He moved behind her and put his lips to her ears. "Ready?" She nodded and he undid the blind fold. She gasped when she laid eyes on the beautiful arrangements of flowers in front of her._

"_This is...Troy, this is beautiful," she said as she walked around. He watched her from where he stood and nodded._

"_Yeah." She looked over at him and saw the loving look in his eyes. She smiled and blushed softly._

"_How long have you been keeping this from me?" she asked as she walked over to the bench, sitting down._

"_Not long. I just found it a couple weeks ago. Back before we got together." She nodded and stared off out into the distance. "I wanted to show you this because, well, because this place reminds me of you." She looked him straight in the eye, confused by what he meant. "This place is quiet and serene, just like your personality. It brings me peace whenever I need it, just like you do. And...and it's beautiful..." A small blush appeared on his face, "just like you," he whispered and she smiled softly. She stood up and walked over to him._

"_Thank you for showing me this place." He smiled and shrugged._

"_It was nothing." She placed a hand on his cheek before placing her lips on his. He responded by pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her waist. They broke for air seconds later and stared into each other's eyes._

"_I love you so much," she said breathlessly._

"_I love you, too, Ella." He brushed some of her wind-blown hair out of her face before kissing her nose. "Always and forever." She grinned and kissed him again._

Gabriella couldn't help but feel elated at the memory. It was one of the many happy memories of her past, one of the many that she couldn't help but remember. The wind blew around her and she stuck her hands in the pockets of her jeans. She felt something in one and pulled it out. A soft smile graced her lips as she stared at the bracelet. It was probably the only thing from her past she allowed herself to keep.

"There you are." Gabriella stuffed the bracelet back in her pocket and turned around. Amber walked over to her and grabbed her arm. "Come on, we're having a toast." Gabriella reluctantly followed the small brunette back inside only to be pushed into someone's arms. She looked up and smiled when she saw Daniel.

"Hello, beautiful." She giggled and straightened herself out. Amber pushed a glass of champagne into her hands and Gabriella stood awkwardly next to Daniel. To her, it was hard being in front of these many people she didn't know. She barely listened to the toast, her nerves were too busy eating away at her sanity.

Afterwards, everyone dispersed back into the party. Daniel went back to talking to a few of his friends, leaving Gabriella to stand there in complete silence. All she really wanted to do, now, was go home. She touched Daniel's arm and he looked at her.

"I'm gonna go home now. I'm really exhausted."

"Okay." He leaned down and kissed her lips. "I'll talk to you tomorrow then." She nodded and he went back to his conversation. Her smile dropped and she looked at the partly touched glass in her hands. She hated when he would just go back into a conversation like she hadn't even been there. She left his side and walked over to the door.

"Gabriella, where are you going?" April asked.

"Home. I'm tired."

"Want me to come with?"

"No. You stay. Have a good time and I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay. Be careful." Gabriella smiled and nodded.

"I will." She left the apartment and headed towards the elevator. She pressed the down button and stood there waiting for it to come. Her mind drifted until the 'ding' of the elevator brought her back to the present. She stepped onto the lift and pressed the button for the first floor. The second the door closed, she leaned against the back wall. She closed her eyes and a distant memory popped into her head.

_The second the doors closed, the twenty year old brunette found herself being pushed against the wall. It only took moments for her boyfriend's soft lips to touch hers. Those same lips traveled down to her neck as his hands made their way up her skirt._

"_Troy," she said lowly, "what if someone catches us?"_

"_There's no way..." He kissed her neck, "that someone would be up..." He pushed her further against the wall, "at this hour." He bit the sensitive part of her neck and she moaned._ _A grin reached his face as he continued to nip at that spot. _

_Her hands gripped his hair and she bit her bottom lip to fight back a moan. His hand traveled farther up her skirt until he reached the edge of her panties. Stretching his boundaries, he reached into her underwear and dipped his finger inside of her._

"_Oh," she moaned and squirmed underneath his touch._

A loud 'ding' brought her out of her memory and she looked around. She sighed after finding herself alone. Though she never wanted to admit it, she missed him. She missed him and there was nothing she could do to stop missing him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM nor do I own 'So Close' by Jon McLaughlin_**

**A/N: I think this chapter is my favorite so far.**

_Chapter 6_

He hadn't stopped thinking about her. He couldn't stop thinking about her. It was like her face, her voice, her smile, _everything_ was playing over in his mind. As much as he didn't want to think about her, he couldn't help it. He thought about the day they met, about their first time, about everything that they'd gone through and he wished he could relive it all again, enjoy those moments as they happened. One moment, in particular, was stuck in his mind. One moment when he believed his life couldn't get any better.

**May 9, 2008**

He was nervous, but at the same time excited. He had waited for this day since the day he met her and now it was here; senior prom. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Coming," he faintly heard from the other side and seconds later the door swung open. "Hello, Troy. Come on in." She moved away from the door and let him in before closing it behind him.

"Hi, Ms. Montez. Is Gabriella ready?"

"I'll go check." He nodded and watched his girlfriend's mother disappear up the stairs. He ran a hand through his hair and waited for Ms. Montez to come back down. She reappeared seconds later with a smile on her face. "She's coming right now." He nodded and the two of them waited.

Minutes later, Gabriella peaked her head around the corner and smiled softly when she saw Troy standing at the bottom of the staircase. She emerged from her hiding spot and cleared her throat. He turned his head from its focus point on the far wall and his mouth dropped open slightly. She blushed and walked down the stairs, trying not to trip. When she made it to the bottom, safe and sound, he shut his mouth and took in her appearance. Her dress was a red, strapless gown that was tightly fit from her bust down to her hips, where it flowed outward. She had on a simple diamond necklace and her hair was lightly curled, perfectly framing her face.

"Ella, you look...you look amazing," he said and she turned away, blushing harder than before.

"You...really think so?" He took her hand in his and grabbed her chin with the other, making her look at him.

"Of course I do. Why would I think any different?" She smiled and watched as he leaned over slightly, kissing the back of her hand. "Shall we go?" She nodded.

"Not before I take pictures," Ms. Montez said, getting out her camera.

"Mom," Gabriella whined.

"Just one or two."

"When you say one or two, you really mean ten or twenty."

"I just want a few pictures. It's not everyday you have a senior prom." Gabriella looked at Troy, almost as if she were asking his permission.

He smiled and shrugged. "It's fine with me. She's right. We don't get to do this everyday."

"See. At least he's reasonable," Ms. Montez said and Gabriella glared playfully at her.

"Fine."

"Good. Now get close." Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella's waist and brought her closer to him. Her mother didn't take as long as she expected and they were out the door in ten minutes flat. "Have a good time you two."

"We will," they both said and Ms. Montez closed the door.

"Now don't freak out but..." he said as she turned around and gasped. "I got us a little something."

She eyed the black limo in front of them before turning to him. "You didn't have to get one." He grinned and shrugged.

"I know, but I wanted to." He took her hand and led her over to it. The chauffeur opened the door and Gabriella climbed in first. Troy slid in beside her and the driver closed the door. "So what do you think?" She smiled and looked at him.

"I think you're the greatest and sweetest guy I've ever met." He moved closer to her and put a hand on her thigh.

"So glad you think so," he said before placing a kiss on her lips. He pulled away seconds later and brushed her cheek lovingly, with his thumb. She smiled and bit her lip before laying her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her and they sat in a comfortable silence until they reached the hotel the prom was being held in.

Upon walking into the room, they were immediately ushered over to the area where pictures were being taken. They got in front of the camera and Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella's waist. She stood in front of him with her back to him and leaned against his chest, placing her hands on top of his. He rested his head on top of hers and watched as the flash went off. They took a few more pictures before joining the rest of their classmates.

"Gabriella." She turned her head and smiled when she saw Taylor and Kelsi walking up to her.

"Hey, girls. Where are your dates?"

"Getting us punch," Kelsi said.

"Speaking of which." She turned to Troy and smiled sweetly. "Can you get me some please?" He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Only because I want to talk to my friends." She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You know you love me."

"You know that, I know that, but that doesn't mean they do." He left his girlfriend to her friends and he went to seek out his own. He found them at the punch bowl seconds later and they all exchanged handshakes. "So how long have you guys been here?"

"Not that long," Chad answered.

"We got here like a few minutes before you did," Jason said and Troy nodded, taking a sip of the juice.

"We should find our dates."

"Good idea," Troy said and grabbed the juice he poured for Gabriella. The three guys made their way back to their dates and handed their respective girl a cup.

"Thanks," the girls said and the six teens stood there watching their classmates dance.

A half an hour had gone by and Gabriella sat dully at her seat, watching her friends dance. Her boyfriend had disappeared a few minutes before, leaving her alone. She didn't know where he went, but she kind of wished he would come back.

"Hey." She looked up and saw him smiling down at her.

"Hey. Where did you go?"

"Nowhere special."

"I hope not." He chuckled and a slow song started playing from the speakers. Gabriella gasped and smiled. "I love this song."

"I know. That's why I requested it." She looked at him, shocked.

"You requested it?" He nodded and held out his hand.

"May I have this dance?" She smiled and nodded.

"You may." She placed her hand in his and he helped her from her seat. Their eye contact never broke once as he led her onto the dance floor. Upon reaching the middle of the dance floor, he placed his hands on her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck, blue staring into brown.

_You're in my arms_

_And all the world calm_

_The music playing on for only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive_

They swayed with the music, never once looking away from each other. They were all that mattered to the other. No one else around them was of concern to them. In their world, they were the only ones in the room.

As she stared into his eyes, Gabriella felt as if she were floating on air. It was the best feeling in the world and she never wanted it to end. She was on cloud nine and she never wanted to come back down. This was where she belonged; in his arms.

_A life goes by_

_Romantic dreams will stop_

_So I bid mine goodbye and never knew_

_So close was waiting, waiting here with you_

_And now forever I know_

_All that I wanted to hold you_

_So close_

"_What more could I want in my life?"_ Troy asked himself as he stared into her brown eyes. Those same eyes that he had looked into so many times before. He took her hands from around his neck and began to twirl her around. She laughed softly as they spun around the dance floor. Her laughter was like music to his ears. It was what made his heart feel lighter than normal.

_So close to reaching that famous happy ending_

_Almost believing this was not pretend_

_And now you're beside me and look how far we've come_

_So far we are so close_

He brought her back close to him and picked her up, spinning her around through the air. She stared down at him with a loving look. Setting her on the ground, he twirled her around a few more times before turning her around and wrapping his arms around her. She leaned into him, her head resting against his shoulder and her hands on top of his, just like in their picture.

_How could I face the faceless days_

_If I should lose you now?_

_We're so close to reaching that famous happy ending_

_Almost believing this was not pretend_

_Let's go on dreaming for we know we are_

_So close_

_So close_

_And still so far_

He took her hand and spun her around, her soft laughter once more ringing through the air. So lost in their own world, neither realized they were the only ones dancing. Everyone else was too busy enjoying the romantic sight in front of them. As the song neared it's end, Troy pulled Gabriella closer to him, staring into her eyes. He placed a hand on her cheek before leaning in and capturing her lips in a sweet kiss.

The room broke into a loud applause, but the two paid them no mind. Pulling apart, Gabriella broke into a wide grin and Troy displayed one of his own, pushing stray strands of her hair behind her ear. He never wanted this night to end. It was perfect, _she_ was perfect.

**Present**

Breaking from his thoughts, Troy realized that he had been sitting in the teacher's parking lot of the University of Albuquerque. He sighed and leaned his head against the chair. He closed his eyes as a stray tear slid down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away and took out his cell phone. There was a question he had that he wanted to be answered. Flipping open his phone, he dialed a number he knew by heart and listened to it ring.

"Hey, you've reached Gabriella. I can't come to the phone right now, but if you leave your name and number I'll get back to you later. Bye." A beep sounded and Troy quickly hung up the phone. A small smile reached his lips as he stared at his phone.

"_She still has the same number."_ He was certain that she would have changed it, but by the sound of that voicemail, she hadn't. Now sat the question he knew would never be answered: did she still have his number in her phone? _"I guess I'll never know."_ He sighed and turned on his car, driving it out of the lot.


	7. Chapter 7

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing but Daniel, Amber, James and April_**

_Chapter 7_

It was the last piece of school work she had to do and she was fixated on doing it. She was close to getting her master's degree done and over with and this paper was what was between her and that diploma. She sat on the couch with her laptop between her legs, typing away at the keys, in her work zone when the door bell rung. She didn't move from her spot, bent on ignoring the person on the other side, but that person was persistent and continued to ring the bell. She sighed, frustrated, and got up to answer the door.

"It's about time you opened the door," Daniel said as she smiled at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I can't come see my fiancée?" he asked as he stepped through the doorway into her apartment.

"I wasn't saying that. I was just wondering why you were here."

"Well, there's something I want to talk to you about." He walked over to the couch and looked at the open document on her laptop.

"Something like what?" she asked scooping up her laptop, hiding it from his eyes.

"What's that about?"

"Nothing."

"Gabriella."

"It's nothing really. It's just some work that I need to catch up on."

"Okay," he said slowly. She put her laptop on the desk and walked back over to him.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I wanna meet your parents." She looked at him with a confused smile.

"But you've already met my dad."

"I meant your mom." She sighed and got up, walking towards the kitchen.

"I told you, my mom lives in Albuquerque."

"So we'll grab a flight and go down and visit her. It won't be that difficult."

"I don't want to put her through stress."

"How would you put her through stress? I mean..." He stopped when he saw the look on her face and made an 'O' shape with his mouth. "You haven't told her about us, have you?" She bit her lip and shook her head. "Why not?"

"I don't know. I guess I never got around to it."

"Gabriella, we've been engaged for almost a month and you haven't bothered to pick up the phone and called her to tell her about it?"

"No. I haven't. I can't."

"She's your mother. She needs to know this."

"Look, she's been through this before and I don't want to put her through it again!" she yelled before quickly biting her lip, regretting what she had just said.

"What do you mean she's been through this before?"

"Nothing. Nevermind."

"Gabriella..."

"Daniel, just go. Please. I have things I need to finish." He nodded and left. Gabriella took a seat at the kitchen table before going over to the wall and picking up the phone. She quickly punched in a few numbers and let it ring.

"Hello?" asked a masculine voice on the other end.

"Daddy?"

"Gabi, what's wrong?"

"Can I come over for a bit? I need some advice."

"Sure princess."

"Thanks. I'll be over in a few."

"I'll be looking out for you." She smiled and hung up the phone. Quickly saving her work, she grabbed her keys and her jacket and left the apartment. It only took her a few minutes to get to her father's apartment complex. Staring up at the building, memories of a time like this flooded her mind.

**September 12, 2012**

She needed to see her father and she needed to see him bad. Everything was falling apart and she knew he was the only one who could fix it. She rode the elevator to the sixteenth floor and knocked on the last door on the right side of the hallway.

"Coming," said a muffled voice. Seconds later the door opened and she looked into the eyes that resembled her own. "Princess? What's wrong?"

"Daddy," she cried before falling into his arms. He securely wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back.

"Shh. It's okay, Gabi. Everything's gonna be alright." Ushering her inside, he sat her down on the couch and let her cry on his shoulders.

She eventually cried herself to sleep and he laid her down on a throw pillow. He went into his room and grabbed a blanket to cover her. He kissed her forehead softly and went into the next room to call his ex-wife. When Gabriella awoke hours later, the sun had already set. She sat up and stretched, holding the blanket close to her.

"Oh, good you're awake." She turned her head and saw her father smiling at her with two mugs in his hands. He walked over to her and sat down, handing her one of the cups. "Here."

"Thanks," she said softly. She took the mug and drank a sip of the hot liquid. She smiled when she realized it was caramel tea; her favorite.

"So, I called your mom and you know what I got?" She shook her head. "A woman going out of her mind because she had no idea where her daughter was. I told her that you were fine and were with me, but you still have to call her."

"She told you everything then?"

"Yeah, she did and I'm sorry." She smiled sadly and shook her head.

"Don't be. Everyone else is and I'm sick of it."

"Well, then I'm not sorry." She giggled and looked at him. "So why did you come all the way across the country just to see your dear old dad?"

"I don't know what to do. Everything I knew had been shattered in the matter of a couple of minutes and now...I feel lost."

"I don't know what to tell you, sweetheart except move on. It's the only solution I had when me and your mom split and it's the only solution I can give you."

"How? How can I move on?"

"By forgetting all that happened. By living the way you want to live. Life's too short to be moping around." She smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, dad." He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"You're welcome. Now go call your mom." She nodded and got up. She walked into the next room and dialed her house number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom."

"Gabi? Oh, thank God. You're okay."

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Why did you run off like that?"

"I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't stay. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, just come home soon. Okay?"

"I will, mom. I'm just gonna spend some time with dad first. You know I don't get to see him very often."

"I know. Well, have fun."

"I will. I'll be back home in a few days."

"Okay, then I'll see you when you get home."

"Bye."

"Bye, baby." Gabriella hung up the phone and sighed before heading back to the living room.

**Present**

She never did return home. She met Daniel a few days later and she just decided to stay in New York. That phone call was the last phone call she had ever made to her mother. That was one reason why she didn't want to go back. That was one reason why she snapped when Daniel suggested she call and tell her mother about them. Truth was, Gabriella was afraid. She was scared that her mother might not want to speak with her.

She broke out of her thoughts and walked inside, greeting the doorman with a warm smile. She pushed the button for the elevator and waited. Minutes later, she found herself standing in front of her father's apartment. She knocked softly and the door opened seconds later.

"Hey, daddy."

"Hey, princess. Come on in." She walked into her father's apartment and he closed the door behind her. "So how's Daniel?" he asked as she sat down on the couch.

"He's fine. He's actually the reason I needed to talk to you."

"What happened?"

"We got into an argument."

"About?"

"About mom and how I didn't want to tell her about me being engaged."

"Why wouldn't you? She's your mother."

"I know, but...I haven't talked to her since that day four years ago when I came here."

"Ah, I see. So you're afraid of what she might say to you?" She nodded and looked down at her clasped hands.

"I don't want her to yell at me for not coming home or not calling."

"How do you know she'll yell at you?" She shrugged and he smiled. "There's no use in being afraid if you don't know how the results will turn out. There's a fifty percent chance she won't yell at you."

"And there's a fifty percent chance that she will."

"Gabi, she's your mother. I bet she misses you just as much as you miss her." She fiddled with her fingers and continued to look down. He grabbed her chin and made her look at him. "Remember, life's too short. Make the best out of it. If you continue to live with the mind frame that your mom is mad at you, then you'll never want to go back home and who knows what could happen in the next few years. God forbid she dies. Then what? You'll feel guilty because you never got to say goodbye."

"But dad..._he's_ there."

"Even better. You go down there with Daniel and you show Troy what he lost. He'll regret doing what he did." She smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around him.

"Thanks, daddy. You always did know what to say." He smiled and hugged her back.

"You're welcome, Gabi."


	8. Chapter 8

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I wish_**

**A/N: who reads Hannah Montana fanfics? If you do, have you noticed that lately it has become a Jonas Brother section? The same thing goes for Wizards Of Waverly Place. Those two sections have become mostly for the Jonas Brothers, especially HM.**

_Chapter 8_

She hadn't told anyone she was coming, not even Taylor. If anything, she wanted to keep her arrival a secret from Troy for as long as she could. She didn't want him to know she was going to be in the same town as him for the next week. She wanted this to be a safe, painless week.

She made sure that Daniel had made arrangements for a rental car, that way she wouldn't have to call her mother. She wanted it to be a surprise for her mother, that way there was no way for her to refuse her estranged daughter.

Driving down the highway, all the 'what ifs' popped into her mind as the two of them headed towards her old neighborhood. What if her mother shuts her out? What if Troy found out she was there? As the questions got more in depth, she felt a hand squeeze hers and she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"We're here," Daniel said and she looked out the front window, seeing the house she left behind standing in front of her.

"I-I guess we are." She swallowed hard before getting out of the car; Daniel met her half way and latched his hand onto hers. She smiled softly at him before they walked up to the door. She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Coming," she heard and the door opened, revealing the mother she hadn't seen in four years. "G-Gabriella?"

Gabriella nodded and smiled. "Hi, mom." Theresa Montez wasted no time in grabbing her daughter and bringing her into a long overdue hug.

"Oh, my baby. You're back. I missed you so much." Gabriella softened and wrapped her arms around her mother.

"I missed you too, mom." From the side, Daniel cleared his throat and the two women looked at him. "Oh, right." Gabriella broke away from the hug and pulled Daniel closer to her. "Mom, this is Daniel, my fiancè."

"Your...fiancè?" She nodded and her mother looked over at the man standing beside her daughter. "Oh. I didn't even know you were seeing someone."

"We met back in New York."

"Well, that's wonderful."

"We actually came here so you and he could get to know each other. He really wanted to meet you." Theresa nodded before motioning them to come in.

"Let me just go get the bags first," Daniel said and ran back to the car.

"Bags?"

"Yeah, we're gonna be staying here for a couple of days."

"Oh. I wish you would have called first. I would have cleaned up the house a bit."

"Mom, I know you. Even if there was no one coming to visit, this house would be clean anyway." Gabriella took a seat on the couch and her mother sat next to her.

"So have you kept in touch with anyone?"

"Taylor. That's about it." Theresa nodded.

"Does she know you're back?"

"No. I didn't tell her I was coming. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Does she know about your engagement?" Gabriella nodded and was just about to speak up when Daniel came tumbling through the door.

"Ow," he groaned.

"Oh, sweetie. Here, let me help you," Gabriella said and went over to grab a few of the bags from him.

"I'll show you were you two can sleep," her mother said and led them upstairs. She opened the second door on the left and Gabriella immediately recognized it as her room.

"My room?"

"Of course. Why not? I'll let you two get settled in." Her mother left the room and Gabriella dropped the bags by her dresser.

"You didn't tell her we were coming, did you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well, by the way she acted it was almost as if you haven't been here for years." Gabriella averted her eyes and bit her lip. "How long?"

"Four years."

"Four years? Gabriella how could you not visit your mother in four years?"

"Or call."

"What? Why?"

"Because I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Four years ago, I left here and went to New York to see my dad. I called my mom from his house and I told her that I would spend a few days with him since I never got to see him much. Well, a few days turned into years and I never called her since that day. I was afraid that she would yell at me if I did."

"You still should have called her."

"I know that now." He smiled softly and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him. She wrapped her arms around him and he placed a kiss on her forehead. From inside her back pocket, her cell phone vibrated and she took it out. "Hello?"

"Gabi, where are you? I called your apartment but April said you weren't there," Taylor said.

"I'm actually at home right now."

"But I just...wait. Home as in Albuquerque?"

"Yeah." Taylor screamed over the phone and Gabriella pried her ear away from the ear piece. Daniel looked at the phone with a 'your friend is crazy' expression on his face. She smiled and shrugged.

"I can't believe it. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Is Daniel with you?"

"Yeah, he is."

"Well, then what are you waiting for? Come over here so I can meet him." Gabriella giggled.

"Okay. We'll be over in a few."

"See you then." She ended the call and looked over at Daniel.

"Taylor wants to meet you."

"Should I be afraid?"

"Yes. Yes, you should be." He chuckled and she laughed. The two walked downstairs and Gabriella peered into the kitchen. "We'll be right back, mom. We're going over to Taylor's."

"Okay. See you later."

A few minutes later, Gabriella found herself standing in front of Taylor's house. She had only been to her house a couple of times before she left for New York. Chad's father had brought it for them once they were out of college. At that time Chad and Taylor were only engaged and were married a month after Gabriella left.

"Are you gonna ring it or should I?" Daniel asked and Gabriella looked at him.

"Sorry." She reached over and rang the bell. The door swung open seconds later and Gabriella was bombarded by her best friend.

"Gabi!" Taylor squealed and hugged her, though she was cut off partly due to her stomach.

"Hey, Tay."

"I can't believe you're here. After all these years you're back," Taylor said as she backed away from her.

"I can't believe I'm here either. Look at you, you're huge," Gabriella said, getting a good look at Taylor's stomach.

"Oh, thanks," Taylor responded sarcastically. "Tell that to the woman who already think she's fat."

"I didn't mean it that way. I meant that I didn't realize how far along you were. When are you due?"

"Next month."

"That close?"

"Yeah."

"Then I definitely have to come back down to see the baby. I couldn't miss this."

"Yet you missed so much."

"I know and I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Gabs. As much as I wanted you to be down here to be my maid of honor, I know you were just trying to move on with your life." Gabriella smiled and hugged her. "So this must be Daniel?" Taylor said as she looked at the man standing beside them.

"Yep. This is him."

"Hi," Daniel said and outstretched his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Taylor."

"Same here. Gabriella has told me so much about you," Taylor said, shaking his hand.

"And vice versa."

"So are you gonna make us stand here or are you gonna invite us in," Gabriella said and Taylor smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. Come on in." They followed her inside and took a seat in the living room. "So how did you two meet?"

"We actually met back in school. I was a junior and she was a freshman," Daniel explained.

"Daniel showed me around and helped me get used to New York."

"Having lived there my whole life, it was easy for me to help someone else. After I graduated, we kept in touch for two years, then lost contact."

"Then we bumped into each other four years ago, you know when I went to New York." Taylor nodded. "And from there things just...happened."

"Well, I'm just glad you found someone that makes you happy, Gabs. After that whole..._fiasco_, I thought you would be a wreck..." Taylor trailed off when she saw the pleading look in Gabriella's eyes. "But anyway, when's the wedding?"

"December/March." Gabriella and Daniel looked at each other and Taylor looked between them, sensing a bit of tension filling the room.

"I thought we decided on March," Daniel said.

"But I wanted to have a winter wedding."

"You know what winter's are like in New York."

"So? I want to have one." He sighed and opened his mouth to say something when the door swung open and the sound of two guys laughing reached their ears. Gabriella's blood ran cold and she looked over at Taylor. "Please. Tell me that's not..."

"Gabriella?" She quickly stood up and came face to face with the one person she was trying to avoid.

"Troy."


	9. Chapter 9

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I will own Zac one of these days. Which day? I don't know._**

_Chapter 9_

"Gabi!" Chad yelled before running over to her and twirling her around. For that moment, Gabriella forgot Troy was in the room and began to laugh.

"I missed you too, Chad." He put her down and hugged her tightly. "I can't breathe."

"Chad, let go of her," Taylor said and he let her go.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's okay." She ruffled his hair and her attention was brought back to the older looking version of her ex. The tension in the air was unavoidable and Daniel took it in his hands to get rid of it.

"Uh, Gabriella, shouldn't you introduce us."

"Oh, right. Daniel, this is Chad," she said pointing to the bushy haired guy standing beside Taylor. Daniel shook his hand then turned to Troy. "And this is Troy," she mumbled.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Daniel outstretched his hand and Troy just looked at it before giving Daniel a look. He pulled back his arm and played it off.

"So, who wants something to drink?" Taylor asked and Chad raised his hand like a little kid. "Good," she said before mumbling, "'cause goodness knows I need one."

Ten minutes later, everyone found themselves sitting in an awkward silence; no one knew what to say. Finally Chad broke the silence and looked at Gabriella.

"So Gabs, what brings you down here?"

"I came to visit my mom and tell her about me and Daniel."

"What about you and _Daniel_?" Troy asked and she glared at him.

"That we're engaged." His eyes widened and she looked away from him, smiling victoriously.

"That's awesome. Tay, how come you didn't tell me?" Chad asked, looking at his wife.

"Must have crossed my mind."

"How long have you two been together?"

"Four years, but we've only been engaged for a little over a month."

"That's great. When's the wedding?" The two looked at each other and shrugged.

"We haven't decided," Daniel said.

"So what do you do for a living?" Taylor asked.

"I'm a lawyer." Taylor nodded and saw Troy roll his eyes from the other side of the room.

"Wow. Mr. Big shot, huh?" Daniel laughed and shook his head.

"I'm not that big."

"Don't be modest," Gabriella said. "He's one of the most sought after lawyers in New York City."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Daniel answered. "It's just something small in my life though. There are bigger and better things I'm happy about."

"Like?"

"Like asking this woman right here to marry me," he said looking at Gabriella. She blushed and kissed his lips. From where she sat, Taylor saw Troy get up and leave. The sound of the door slamming broke up the kissing couple and they looked at the door.

"I'll go talk to him," Chad said getting up.

"No, Chad," Gabriella said and stopped him. "You stay. I'll go talk to him." She left the house and closed the door behind her. She spotted him leaning against his car with his arms crossed and went up to him. "What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem? I'm not the one in there giving a show."

"No, but you are the one out here being an asshole."

"Have you told him about us?"

"What?"

"Have you told him about us?"

"No. Why should I?"

"Typical."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," he said pushing off of his car and walking away from her.

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're the one with the broken heart? I didn't leave you, you left me."

"Whatever. I'm out of here." He got into his car and sped off. She watched his car disappear around the corner and she sighed. Running a hand through her hair, she went back inside and flopped on the couch.

"Gabriella?" Daniel started, but she shook her head.

"Not now." He nodded and she put her head in her palms.

After they left Chad and Taylor's house, the two made their way back to her mother's house. Gabriella stayed silent the entire time, not really wanting to talk about what happened between her and Troy. She did know, however, that Daniel was going to bring it up again and he did that night as they were getting ready to go to bed.

"What happened earlier?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about; you and Troy and that argument."

"Did you hear any of it?"

"No. It sounded like just muffles to me, but I still heard it." Gabriella sighed and continued to brush her hair. "What happened between you two?"

"It's a long story."

"Were you two...ever together?"

"Yeah, but it was a while ago."

"I figured that."

"What made you guess?"

"The vibe that I was getting off of him when you introduced us. Something also tells me, you two didn't end on a very good note."

"Nope."

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?"

"Nope." Gabriella put down her brush and went over to her bed. She pulled the covers up and slipped in.

"Come on, Gabriella," he said and she pretended to be asleep. "I know you're not asleep. No one falls asleep that fast." She still didn't answer. He sighed and turned off the light before climbing in next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. Gabriella opened one eye and smiled before closing her eyes to fall asleep.

It was around one in the morning when Gabriella awoke. She didn't know what woke her up, but when she tried to fall back to sleep, she couldn't do it. She sighed and got up, looking over at Daniel, who had switched positions, to make sure he was still asleep. Stealthily, she dressed and grabbed her house keys and the car keys.

It only took her a few minutes to reach her destination and she jumped out of the car the second she put it in park. She got out and walked over to the small fence that stood between her and the sparkling water on the other side. She climbed over the fence and turned around to face the water. Stripping out of her clothes, she jumped into the pool with only her underwear on.

"Don't you know it's illegal to trespass?" she turned around and spotted Troy standing against the fence with a grin on his face.

"How did you get in here?"

"I jumped over, just like you did."

"I didn't hear the fence move."

"Cause I did it while you were still under the surface."

"Well, I didn't hear your car pull up."

"Maybe it's because I didn't blatantly park mine close by."

"Look, what do you want, Troy?"

"I came do clear my head. Isn't that the reason why you came here?" She nodded and watched him strip out of his clothes until he was only in his boxers. He took a seat at the pool's edge and looked at her. "I'm willing to forgive you for flipping out earlier."

"F-Forgive me? Whoa. Wait one second there, _pal_. You're the one who was having the issues." He stared at her with a icy glare and shook his head.

"Fine. I'm sorry about being such an asshole."

"Apology accepted."

"Look, I just want to make everything right between us."

"And how do you suppose we do that? Sit around a campfire and sing _Kum By Ya_?"

"No. I want to apologize for...before."

"You mean when you left me?"

He rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yes. I meant that."

"Well, then. Apology_ not_ accepted." She got out of the pool and he stood up, ready to chase after her.

"What do you want me to do? Get on my knees and beg for forgiveness?"

"That would be nice, but no."

"Then what can I possibly do to get you to forgive me?"

"Stay out of my life, that's what you can do." He grabbed her arm and she turned to look at him.

"Gabriella, please. I just...I want you to forgive me. I was an idiot and I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough for me." She tired to walk away and he stopped her.

"Ella," he said softly.

"Just leave me alone, Troy." She looked at him, her eyes pleading. "Please." He let go of her arm and she grabbed her clothes. He watched as she climbed back over the fence and went to her car. The second she drove off, he turned towards the pool and jumped in.

"_Troy, where are we?" nineteen year old Gabriella asked._

"_You'll see." Troy led her to a fence and she gasped when she spotted the pool on the other side._

"_We're not supposed to be here."_

"_Relax. No one's gonna catch us."_

"_Don't you know it's illegal to trespass?" she said in a whisper. Troy rolled his eyes and started climbing the fence._

"_Ella, my dear, it's only trespassing when you get caught. Now come on." She sighed and began climbing the fence after him. He helped her over and when they got to the other side, he stripped out of his clothes._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Going for a swim." He jumped into the pool with only his boxers on and she stared at him. _

"_Come on in, the water's great." She sighed and shrugged before stripping down to her underwear and jumping in. When she swam back up to the surface, she found Troy nowhere to be found._

"_Troy?" she called and looked around. She began to panic until she felt something tugging at her leg. She screamed before being pulled underwater. When she was able to come back up, Troy was laughing at her. "Troy, you jerk!" she yelled before swimming away from him._

"_Babe? Oh come on. That was funny." She didn't stopped and he swam after her. He stopped her from getting out and turned her around to face him._

"_Let me go."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_No. You nearly killed me."_

"_I didn't hold you down for that long. I'm sorry, babe, I really am." She turned her head away from him and crossed her arms. "Forgive me?" he asked and grabbed her chin, making her face him. "Please." He gave her the puppy dog look and she sighed._

"_Fine." He smiled "But on one condition."_

"_What's that?"_

"_Kiss me," she said with a smirk._

"_That I can do," he said and leaned down, covering her lips with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss._


	10. Chapter 10

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer:...nothing_**

**A/N: anyone else noticed I keep updating this along side _Beautiful Disaster_? Don't ask why cause I don't know the answer to that one.**

_Chapter 10_

Troy found himself lying on the grass of the Danforth's backyard, staring at the sky the next day. Chad walked out of the house and sat down beside his best friend, handing him a beer. Troy took the bottle out of his hand and sat up.

"You know, moping like this will get you nowhere," Chad commented and Troy glared at him. "I'm just saying. Gabriella isn't gonna forgive you anytime soon, so why go through all the trouble of trying?"

"Because I want her to. I want it to be like it used to be."

"Troy, it's never gonna be like it used to be. She's engaged to be married. There's no way you're gonna get back what you gave up."

"Thank you, Chad, for reminding me of my stupidity," he said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, but it's true. You're acting like she's just gonna come back to you. You hurt her pretty badly. Worse than anything you've ever done in the past."

"I know, but..."

"No buts, Troy. Face it, you're gonna have to get used to the fact that she belongs to someone else."

"Then what am I supposed to do? I don't want her to be mad at me anymore."

"Truthfully, I don't know, but I suggest you think of something quick. Who knows how long she's gonna be here." Troy nodded and took a sip of his beer. Laughter reached their ears and they turned around, watching as Taylor and Gabriella walked out of the house. "Ooo. I smell food." Chad jumped up and ran over to the girls with Troy following slowly behind. "Hey, Tay," Chad said, kissing his wife on the cheek. "You know I love you right?"

"Do you love me or my cooking?"

"You, of course." Taylor gave him a skeptical look before turning her eyes to Troy.

"Why did he really come over here?"

"The food," Troy answered and Chad glared at him.

"Oh, thanks a lot, _best friend_," Chad said sarcastically and Troy smiled.

"You're welcome." Troy's eyes wandered over to the silent brunette sitting down on the lawn chair. She could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to look up. "Dude, you wanna play one-on-one?" he asked Chad and his best friend nodded.

"Sure. Let's go. Just don't come crying to me when I beat you."

"Please. You haven't been able to beat me since junior high."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure. Fifty bucks says I beat you."

"Deal." The two shook hands and headed to the basketball court in the middle of the yard. Taylor shook her head and sat down beside Gabriella.

"Those two..." She looked over at Gabriella, who had her eyes intently on Troy. "You know," Taylor started and Gabriella quickly turned her attention away from the guys. "Even after all the stupid shit he did, he's changed."

"Maybe he has, maybe he hasn't." Gabriella turned her eyes back on the two playing basketball. "Either way, I can't forgive him."

"You can. You just don't want to." Gabriella sighed and looked at her hands. "I know that I've always been against him ever since high school, but I've noticed that you seem..._happier_ when he was around you."

"Tay, you know I can't do anything. I'm getting married to the man I love."

"I know, but I'm not saying anything like getting back together; I'm talking about maybe becoming friends with him."

"No. No way."

"Come on, Gabriella. You could call it his first step into getting you to trust him again."

"I'm not doing it, Tay. I won't."

"Fine. Keep him out of your life. All you're doing is killing something that made your life better." Gabriella didn't want to think about what Taylor said, but she couldn't help but do just that.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Chad asked as they stopped to take a break.

"Girl stuff probably." Chad nodded and passed Troy the ball. "So have any bright ideas popped into your mind?"

"Well, one."

"And that would be...?"

"Get her to be friends with you."

"There's no _way_ she would want to be friends with me."

"Yeah, but it's a shot. You never know unless you try."

"I guess you're right."

"Damn right, I'm right." Troy rolled his eyes and went to make a shot.

"Let's just get back to the game."

Gabriella didn't realize how into the game she was until her phone rang. She reached for it in her pocket and pulled it out.

"Hello?"

"Hey. Are you gonna be home anytime soon?"

"I wasn't planning on coming home right away, but if you need me there, I'll come."

"Okay. Good cause I need the car. I have to go to the post office in town and mail something."

"Oh. Okay, then I'll be home in a few." She ended the call and turned to Taylor. "I gotta go. I'll see you later." Taylor nodded and Gabriella made her way to her car.

She arrived home minutes later, finding Daniel waiting outside for her. She hopped out the car and he hopped in. She watched him drive down the driveway and disappear around the street before going inside.

"Mom!" she called.

"In the kitchen." She walked into the kitchen and saw her mother cooking.

"Hey. Need any help?"

"Yeah. You can do the potatoes." Gabriella picked up one of the four bags of potatoes and gave her mother a confused look.

"How many people are you cooking for? Five?" she asked with a laugh.

"Six, actually."

"I was kidding, mom."

"I wasn't"

"Mama say what?"

"I asked the Bolton's over, including Troy."

"What? Mom, do you not realize that I cannot be in the same room with Troy for a few minutes? What makes you think I can be in the same room for an hour or so?"

"Gabriella, please, just try being civil with him."

"Why should I?"

"Because you're still stuck on the past. Let's try and move on. His parents are very good friends of mine and if I want to invite them over then I can."

"I have no problem with them, it's just him."

"Please, just get along with him for one night. That's all I ask of you."

"Fine, but don't expect me to acknowledge him."

"That's fine with me. Here," she said handing Gabriella a bowl. "You can put the peeled potatoes in this." Gabriella took the bowl and sat down to begin taking the skin of the potatoes.

With the two women working together, it wasn't long before all the food was ready to be eaten. Daniel had come back an hour after Gabriella started helping her mother and was put to work by his future mother-in-law. She made him tidy up and set the table.

The door rang around six and Gabriella went to answer it. She smiled when she saw Jack and Lucille Bolton on the other side.

"Gabriella!" Lucille squealed before throwing her arms around the twenty five year old. "I can't believe your back."

"Hi, Lucille," she said hugging the woman back.

"Oh, you don't know how much I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." They pulled away and Gabriella caught sight of the man she saw as a second father. "Hi, Jack." He pulled her into his arms and lifted her up slightly.

"Good to see you back home."

"Good to be back home." He set her down just as Daniel walked into the room. "Jack, Lucille, this is Daniel. He's my fiancè."

"It's nice to meet you," Lucille said shaking his hand.

"Same here." Daniel and Jack exchanged a quiet greeting before they were all ushered into the dining room. The doorbell rang and Gabriella's mother went to answer it.

"Hello, Troy," she said with a smile.

"Hi, Theresa," he said before giving her a hug.

"Come on in. You're parents are already here."

"Yeah. I saw their car." He walked in and saw Gabriella sitting beside Daniel and across from his mother. His smile dropped and he walked into the dining room, taking a seat across from her. She looked up and smiled politely at him. He didn't know what was going on, but returned the smile.

"Troy, Gabriella, do you think you two could help me bring the food out?" Carmen asked and they nodded. They got up and followed her into the kitchen. Once she had grabbed something and left, Troy turned to Gabriella.

"So..."

"That smile was nothing more than me _trying_, and I use that word loosely, to get along with you for the sake of my mother. I still will not forgive you for what you did." She left the kitchen and he sighed.

"I can't take this anymore," he said to himself before walking into the dining room. He put the food on the table and took his place across from her.

Throughout dinner, Troy stayed silent. His eyes would sometimes wander over to Gabriella, but mostly remained on his food. None of the conversations sparked his interest, especially not the ones involving Gabriella's engagement to Daniel.

"I'm just glad Gabriella found someone that makes her happy," Jack said and Gabriella smiled. "It was just a total bust with these two." That statement caught Troy's attention and he looked over at his father before looking at Gabriella, who looked shocked.

"Wait, what?" Daniel said.

"It's nothing," she said and Troy rolled his eyes.

"Stop avoiding it and tell him," Troy said and she glared at him.

"Why don't you stay out of my business."

"It's not just your business if it involves both of us."

"It is _just_ my business since he's _my_ fiancè"

"He may be, but he still deserves to know."

"Okay you two, stop fighting," Theresa said and they stopped, still glaring at one another. "Let's get back to eating."

"I'm not hungry anymore. May I be excused?" Gabriella asked and her mother sighed, but nodded. She got up and went out to the backyard. Troy watched her until she could no longer be seen then turned back to his food.

"Troy, go apologize," his mother said and he looked up at her.

"But..."

"Go," she said sternly and he sighed before getting up. He went out back and saw her sitting on the bench swing. He stuck his hands in his pockets before walking over to her.

"May I sit down?" he asked and she looked up at him.

"Yeah. Go ahead." As soon as he sat down she stood up and began walking back inside.

"Gabriella," he said and got up, grabbing her arm. "Gabriella, can we just talk for two seconds?" She turned around and looked at him. "What do I have to do to get you to at least _talk_ to me again?"

"There's nothing you can do." She pulled her arm from his grip and started to walk away. He ran in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

"There has to be something." She refused to look at him, so she focused on one of the trees in the distance. "Come on, Ella. You can't be that mad at me that we can't at least form some kind of truce." She looked up at him, her brown eyes glazed over.

"You think that you can just utter my nickname and everything will be alright? Well, it's not, Troy. It's not alright. Even after I met Daniel, I cried myself to sleep every night for six months. Six straight months I couldn't get my mind off of what you had done. How am I supposed to forgive you for that?"

He stayed silent for a few seconds before reaching up to stroke her cheek. "I don't know what to say." She moved away from his hand and glared at him. "I know you're tired of hearing me say that I'm sorry, but it's all I can say. I'm sorry for being such an idiot. I'm sorry for breaking your heart."

She shook her head, looking away from him, and ran a hand through her hair. "You just don't get it. You don't get that what you did was far beyond repair."

He groaned and said angrily, "What do you want from me? I've tried to talk to you, but you don't seem to listen. Do you hate me that much?" She looked up at him, her eyes displaying her emotions. "What did I do, Gabriella? What did I do to make you hate me so much?" he asked, his eyes searching hers for an answer.

"You hurt me," she said softly. "You promised you wouldn't hurt me again."

He froze, knowing what she said was true. Reaching up, subconsciously, he pushed a strand of hair from her face. She closed her eyes, relinquishing all thoughts that told her to move away. "I never meant to."

Opening her eyes, she stared into his and shook her head. "But you did." She pulled away from his touch and ran inside, not stopping until she reached her bedroom.

**A/N: I found the ending to be so sad.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: yea right_**

_Chapter 11_

Two days had passed by and Daniel never asked about what transpired between Troy and Gabriella or what Jack had meant when he said, 'It was just a total bust with these two.' He knew Gabriella was sensitive about her past, so he didn't feel asking her about it so soon was wise. Eventually, the curiosity got to him.

He found her sitting on the bench swing out back that afternoon. Her mother had gone into town to do some shopping, leaving the two alone. He sat down beside her and she looked over at him, smiling brightly.

"Hey, you," she said and he smiled nervously.

"Hey. Listen can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well...what did Jack mean when he said it was a total bust between you and Troy?"

"Nothing. He was just joking around."

"There must be more than that."

"There's nothing else to it."

"Come on, Gabriella. I'm not stupid. What did he really mean?"

She sighed and bit her lip. "Back when I used to live here, Troy and I...dated for a while. Everyone thought we were destined for each other, but as you know, destiny is not always what it seems. We broke up and that was the end of that," she lied, even though some elements of it were true.

"Is that all?" he asked, skeptically.

"Yes. What, don't you believe me?"

"It's kind of hard when you lied about telling your mother about us."

"I didn't lie. I just didn't tell her."

"Gabriella, if we want to be in a good relationship, we've got to be honest with each other."

"I know."

"So, no keeping stuff from each other." She nodded and looked down at her hands. "So what happened between you and him the other day?"

"Nothing happened."

"What are you talking about? You came back in tears. You were locked up in your room for the entire night."

"I said it was nothing. Okay? What's with the third degree?"

"I just wanna know. You've never even mentioned him to me once. I just wanna know what kind of impact he left on your life."

"Didn't I just tell you that we were in a relationship that ended badly? That's it. End of story."

"And I know that's not the end of it."

"I knew you didn't believe me."

"Just tell me the truth, Gabriella. What's the real story behind you two?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about!" she yelled. "It's my past and it's gonna stay _my_ past." She got up and went inside. Daniel sighed and leaned back on the bench. He didn't mean to upset her; he just wanted to know more about her past.

Gabriella leaned over the kitchen counter, trying to prevent herself from crying. She took a deep breath before turning around to lean against the counter. Running a hand through her hair, she pushed off and went towards the front door. She grabbed the car keys from off the hook and went outside.

She drove all the way to Taylor's house, only to find that neither Taylor nor Chad were home. She slid down the door and sat against it. She needed to talk to Taylor.

"Well this is something I didn't expect." She looked up and saw Troy staring back at her with a confused look on his face.

"I'm not in the mood."

"I didn't mean for that to sound like something it wasn't."

"Then what did you mean it to sound like?" she asked rudely. He bit his tongue trying to hold back his rude remark.

"Why are you sitting in front of Chad and Taylor's door?"

"Cause I need to talk to Taylor, but she's not home and neither is Chad. Why are you here?"

"I came to drop something off to Chad, but since you said neither of them are home I guess I just came here for no reason."

"Seems we're both out of luck." He nodded and looked at her.

"So, what may I ask, did you need to speak to Taylor about?"

"That's none of your business."

"Fair enough. Are you seriously gonna wait for her out here?"

"I will if I have to."

"Okay, but a little warning; the guy across the street, his favorite numbers are 911." She looked at him skeptically. "No lie. When I first moved back, I was knocking on their door for a good hour or so. Next thing I know the cops showed up and told me the guy across the street called saying that he thought I was trying to rob them. Of course they dismissed it, when they realized I had been standing out here for a good while. They told me that that was the fourth time that week the guy had called them." She giggled and he smiled.

"I guess he really likes those numbers."

"I guess so." Silence fell over them before he outstretched his hand. "Come on." She looked at him with a confused expression. "I don't want that guy calling the cops on you." She took his hand and he helped her up.

"Well, where am I supposed to go?"

"My place."

"What?"

"Just for a little while until we find out where these two went." She nodded slowly and followed him. "You wanna take your car and follow me?"

"Not really. I'm still a little worn out from the other night." He nodded, staying silent when she mentioned that night he wanted to forget. He really didn't want to bring it up and he knew she felt the same. He opened the passenger door for her then jumped into the driver's side.

They reached his apartment complex ten minutes later and went up to his apartment. The whole time, not a word was said between the two. The second Troy opened the door, Gabriella was speechless.

"You _live_ here?" she asked after finding her voice.

"Yeah. Why? Should I live somewhere else?" he asked, his voice showing offence.

"No. It's not that. I just never thought–"

"I know. My parents thought the same thing."

"What do you do that gives you enough to afford a place like this?"

"I coach the Red Hawks."

"The University of _Albuquerque_ Red Hawks?"

"Yeah. They pay good money. Not to mention I do some gigs on the side."

"Gigs? As in shows? As in you...singing?"

"Yeah."

"I've never heard you sing before."

"I'm not one that likes to display his talent."

"Oh, sure, but you had no problem showing off your basketball skills in high school," she said as she sat down on the couch.

"That was different."

"That was not different. There's a one in a million chance that someone would become a basketball star, just like there's a one in a million chance someone would become a singer or rock star."

"And yet people become one everyday." She giggled and he went into his kitchen. "You want anything to drink?"

"Water will be fine." He came back out with a water bottle in hand and gave it to her. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said taking the seat next to her. "So are you gonna talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"Why you were sitting in front of Chad and Taylor's door?"

"Is that the reason you brought me here?"

"No, but I was hoping you would talk about it. I may not be Taylor, but at least I can try to help." She looked at the bottle and sighed.

"Daniel and I got into a fight."

"About?"

"What else? _Us_. He wanted to know more about what happened between you and me."

"Why don't you just tell him?"

"Cause I'm just not ready to tell him."

"What's so hard about telling him?"

"Everything."

"Are you afraid?" She nodded. "Of what?"

"What he might think."

"Well, you'll never know until you tell him."

She sighed and nodded. "I guess you're right. Thanks."

"No problem."

She bit her lip and looked up at him. "Hey, what did you mean when you said 'typical?'"

"When?"

"Before, when we were arguing the first day I got here. You asked me if I told Daniel about us and I said 'no.' After that you said 'typical.' What did you mean by that?"

"Because even in high school, you never told James that you and I had something going on. He didn't find out until later."

"Yeah, when you told him and the entire basketball team that you and me had sex. Which I still haven't forgiven you for."

"That was eight years ago. Let it go. Besides, I was the reason he took you back."

"True, but you were the reason I dumped him."

"Your own free will." She laughed and shook her head.

"I wonder how he's doing."

"He's fine."

"You've talked to him?"

"Yeah. We're like best friends now."

"Well, that was unexpected. I never thought you two would be close friends."

"Me either." Conversation died and a thick layer of seriousness clouded them. Troy grabbed her chin and made her look at him. "I know that you may not want to tell him now, but you need to tell him before you two seal the deal on your relationship. Okay?" She nodded and he smiled. "Good. Now let's get you back to Taylor's house. Maybe they're home already," he said as he stood up.

"It doesn't matter if they are."

"Why not?" She looked up at him and smiled.

"Cause I already got my good advice." He smiled and outstretched his hand. She took it and he helped her up.

"Glad I could be of service." They went back to his car and he drove her to the Danforth residence to let her get her car. They said their goodbyes and she made her way home, hoping that Daniel wouldn't start asking her a million and two questions.


	12. Chapter 12

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer:...we all know I don't own this_**

**A/N: you know, I was rereading _Keeping Us A Secret_ (which I'm still deciding if I'll finish it or not) and something hit me. Many of you probably already figured out what I've connected the dots to but I thought why not just share it with all of you. When the first High School Musical came out, my friend couldn't figure out why Gabriella believed what Troy said over the video feed when he said 'are you happy now?' She couldn't understand why Gabriella got so upset over it when it was obvious that Troy didn't mean any of it. Well, I think it's not that she was upset over what he said just the fact that he said it. I mean, wouldn't you get upset if someone you thought was your friend would lie just like that and say it so easily without second thought? I know I would. So by coming across this little piece of newfound information, I see that whole scene in a different light, knowing that she's not upset about what he said, but because he said it in the first place. Anywho, enough of my rambling. On with the story.**

_Chapter 12_

Troy laid face up on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Even though he and Gabriella had come to some sort of truce, there was still an air of tension between them. He sensed it earlier when he was over at Chad's house. She was there with Taylor and not once did she look at him or even acknowledge the fact that he was there.

"Troy, where are you?" Troy sighed when he heard James' voice echo through his apartment.

"I knew I shouldn't have given him a spare key," he mumbled to himself. "In my room!" Seconds later James walked into the room.

"What are you laying here for? The club's jumpin' and the ladies are callin'."

"I'm not exactly in the mood, James."

"Oh, come on. How can you not be in the mood for getting booty?"

"I'm just not."

"Stop being a party pooper and come on." Troy sighed and got up.

"Fine. I'll go."

"Yes. This is gonna be so much fun."

The two walked downstairs and took their separate cars to the club. From outside, you could hear the music blaring. James went straight for the bar with Troy following behind.

Leaning against the counter, Troy scanned the area. He really didn't want to be there, but partying always took his mind off of his problems. That is unless the cause of his problems was there with him. He did a double take when he saw Gabriella walking around, aimlessly.

"Be right back," he told James, who was too busy chatting up a redhead to notice his friend's departure. Troy walked over to Gabriella and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and smiled slightly.

"Hey," she said loudly, trying to talk over the music.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" he asked in the same tone.

"Same thing as you; trying to relax and enjoy myself."

"Who are you here with?"

"Daniel." She looked around before turning back to him. "At least I was. He sort of disappeared on me."

"That sucks."

"Yeah, it does. Who are you here with?" Before he could answer, James came up next to him.

"Dude, I found two girls that are looking for a great fuck." Troy paled, his eyes never leaving Gabriella's face. James caught sight of his former girlfriend and smiled. "Gabriella? I didn't know you were back."

She forced a smile and looked at James. "Hey, James. Long time no see, huh?"

"Yeah. Very long. I'll let you two get back to your conversation." He turned to Troy. "Just make it snappy. Those girls are extremely horny. I don't know how much longer they can wait." James walked away and Gabriella turned her eyes on Troy.

"I guess you're up to your old tricks again."

"It's not what you think."

"It's okay, Troy. It's not like we're still going out. You have your own life. You can do whatever you want and whoever you want." Though she wanted her voice to sound normal, the bitterness couldn't help but seep out. "I should go find Daniel." She walked away and disappeared into the crowd. He sighed and watched her, suddenly not wanting to be there anymore.

He walked back to the bar and saw James standing there with two girls in his arms.

"Troy, you coming?"

"Nah. I'm not into it anymore."

"Suit yourself. Your loss." James escorted the girls to another part of the club, leaving Troy to sit alone by himself. After two hours, Troy was tired of being there. When he stepped out into the cool night air, he spotted Gabriella standing alone by the curb. He looked around before approaching her.

"Waiting for someone?" he asked and she turned around.

"A cab."

"Kind of hard to get cabs around here at this time of night. It's nothing like New York City where they're patrolling the area."

"What do you know about New York?" He smirked and shrugged.

"If I remember it correctly, someone couldn't stop talking about New York the summer after our freshman year of college." She blushed and hugged her arms tighter to her body. "Come on," he said grabbing her arm. "I'll take you home."

"Don't you have a girl to screw?"

"No. Last time I checked, I don't have girlfriend."

"Why aren't you in there with James?"

"Cause you bring out the best in me, Gabriella. I lie to you not, if I never knew you were here, I probably would be screwing one of those girls James found. But, as you see, I'm not." She smiled softly and followed him to his car. It took twenty minutes for them to arrive at her house. "Looks like Daniel's already here."

"What?" She looked up and saw the rental car in the driveway. "How did he get here before me? I thought he was still at the club."

"I guess not." She sighed and turned to Troy.

"Thanks for the ride." He turned to her and nodded.

"Yeah. No problem."

"Bye." She climbed out of the car and walked up the path to her house. She went inside and instantly went up to her room. Daniel was reading a book when she walked in and she walked over to him, hitting him on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For leaving me."

"Leaving you? You left me."

"I did not. I spent two hours looking for you."

"So how did you get home?"

"Troy drove me. And if it wasn't for him, I would probably still be there."

"Troy drove you?" She nodded. "So, what? Did you two fuck before he drove you home?"

"What? No. Why would you think that?"

"Why wouldn't I? I mean, you were driven home by you _ex_. What else could I think?"

"That you could trust me. Nothing happened between me and him. I was looking for you the entire night when I finally just gave up. I went outside to find a cab when he came out. He offered me a ride home and I took it."

"Wish I could believe your story."

"Why can't you?"

"Cause, Gabriella, yesterday you told me that you and Troy have history together. Something you've never mentioned to me before. How am I supposed to believe that you're not sleeping with him behind my back?"

"By trusting me. We're supposed to be getting married and you can't even trust me." He sighed and got up.

"I'm just gonna go sleep in the guest bedroom," he said and grabbed a pillow before leaving. She watched him leave before falling face first onto her bed.

"Gabi?" She lifted her head when she heard her mother's voice. She smiled and turned over.

"Hi, mom."

"Hey. You okay?" Theresa asked as she moved over to the bed.

"Daniel and I just got into a little fight."

"I heard."

"We were that loud, huh?" Theresa smiled and nodded. Gabriella sighed and bit her lip. "What should I do? I mean, he doesn't even trust me."

"Maybe you could get Troy to talk to him. If he hears the truth from Troy, maybe he'll believe you."

"That's a good idea. Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome." Theresa kissed Gabriella's forehead and left the room.

Gabriella sighed and leaned against her headboard. She pulled out her phone and flipped through her history. She stopped at one number and stared at it, trying to figure out who did she know that had that particular number. Her phone rang two weeks ago out of the blue and that number appeared on her caller id. She didn't know whose number it was so she brushed it off and ignored it, but it had never left her mind. She wanted to know who called her and why.

"Who are you? And why do I feel like I've seen you before?" she asked the number as if it would answer her. She was tempted to dial it. Her thumb hovered over the call button, waiting for her to give the signal. She sighed and pressed the button. A ringing sound came from the receiver and she quickly ended it. She didn't understand why she didn't go through with it. It was probably fear. Fear of finding out who it was. She put her phone on her night stand and shut off the light. The second she laid down, her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered quickly. An eerie silence stood on the other end. "Hello?" she asked again. "Who is this?" The line beeped out, signaling that the call ended. She looked at her phone and saw it was the same number. "Who are you?" she asked no one before putting her cell phone on the night stand and going to sleep.

Troy sat on his bed, ashamed of himself for not answering her. He wanted to, he really did, but something inside told him not to. By the way she answered, he knew she had no idea that it was him who had called her. He figured she probably called his number to find out who called hers.

"_Then why did the phone only ring once?"_ he asked himself. He sighed and put his phone down before going into the bathroom to get ready for bed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I wish_**

_Chapter 13_

She was out of solutions. No matter how much she tried, Daniel didn't want to speak to her. It had been three days since their fight and she was worn out. She needed to speak to Troy and she knew it, but she didn't want Daniel to find another reason to think that she was cheating on him.

Sitting on the bench swing, she tried to clear her mind. Everything told her to go talk to Troy. Sighing, she got up and left her house without saying a word to anyone. She arrived at Troy's apartment complex and reached his front door within minutes. She knocked swiftly and waited for him to answer. However, no one answered.

"Shit," she cursed, pounding her fist on the door before sinking to her knees. She leaned her head against the cold surface before turning around and sitting in front of it.

She didn't know how long she was sitting there for; she was too distraught to take her phone out of her pocket. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back and said, "Why aren't you here when I need you?"

"Cause some of us work." She opened her eyes and saw Troy standing in front of her, smirking. "Unlike others." He outstretched his hand and she grabbed it, letting him help her up. He opened his door, letting her in before saying anything else. "So, what, pray tell, brings you here?" he asked as he closed the door behind them.

"I need a favor." He leaned against his door, a smirk on his face.

"Depends on what it is," he said looking her up and down.

"Ugh. No. Gross. I thought you said I bring out the best in you?"

"When it comes to other girls, yes. When it comes to you, you bring out the worst. Or did you forget that day before I left for college?"

"I didn't forget. I wish I could, but I can't."

A frown set itself on his face, but he quickly wiped it away before she could see. "So what is it you need from me?"

"I need you to speak to Daniel."

"For?" he asked as he walked into his kitchen. He pulled out a glass from the cabinet and filled it with tap water.

"He thinks..." She bit her lip as he took a sip of his water. "He thinks we're sleeping together." Troy quickly spit out his drink and looked at her with an incredulous expression on his face.

"W-What?"

"He thinks we're–"

"I heard you the first time," he said and walked over to her. "How the hell does he think that?"

"You know how he got home from the club before I did?" He nodded. "Well, I told him that you gave me a ride home and he thought since I got home after him, that me and you were...you know."

"Fucking?"

She cleared her throat, uncomfortable with Troy's way of putting it. "Yeah."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"I need you to talk some sense into him. Tell him that we weren't doing anything."

"Come on, Ella, let's not lie about something like that." She hit his arm and he chuckled. "Sorry I couldn't help myself."

"Are you gonna talk to him or not?"

"Not," he said as he went to sit on the couch.

"What? Why?"

"Cause this is something you two need to work out. It's not my fault he doesn't trust you."

"So it's all my fault?"

"Yes...and no."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He sighed and got up, walking over to her.

"Yes, because you're too afraid to tell him anything about what happened between us. No, because it's his choice not to trust you. So unless you're gonna tell him what happened all those years ago, you're just gonna have to figure this out on your own."

"But...I can't. I won't."

"Why not?"

"Because all you have to do is tell him that I wasn't cheating on him behind his back and he'll believe you."

"And how do you know?"

"Because guys have some kind of unspoken bond and you believe each other." Troy laughed and shook his head.

"I don't know where you got that idea from, but you are all wrong."

"Please, Troy. Do it for me."

"If we were more than what we are now, that probably would have worked, but it didn't." He walked around her and headed to his door.

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to Daniel."

"You'll tell him that we didn't do anything?"

"No. I'm going to tell him about us."

"No. You can't do that," she said and ran to stop him.

"He deserves to know."

"Troy, please don't."

"I'm telling him, Gabriella. Whether you like it or not, he needs to know." She stepped away from him and he left her alone in his apartment. She wrapped her arms around herself and dropped to her knees. Her body shook as she sobbed on the floor. She didn't want Daniel to find out from Troy. It would only make things worse.

Troy stood outside his door and listened to her heart-wrenching sobs. He sighed and went downstairs. He drove to her house and knocked on the door. Minutes later the door opened and Daniel stepped into view.

"We need to talk," Troy said and Daniel let him in.

-

-

Gabriella never moved from her spot on Troy's floor. When Troy came home an hour later, he spotted her sitting on the floor. He sighed and kneeled next to her.

"Go home," he said softly and she looked at him.

"What for? Not like Daniel will talk to me. Especially now." He sighed and lifted her up. He carried her downstairs and put her into her car.

"Just go, Gabriella" She sighed and started up her car. When she got home, she went straight to her room and lied down. A few minutes later, she heard her door open and felt the mattress behind her dip down.

"I'm sorry," Daniel whispered. "I should have believed you." He placed his hand on her arm and squeezed it. "Troy told me the truth. He told me that he did nothing but give you a ride home that night. I'm sorry for not believing you." She smiled, realizing Troy didn't tell him about their past together.

"It's okay," she said lacing her hand with his. He kissed her hair and closed his eyes.

When she knew he was sleeping, she got up and snuck out of the room. It took her a few minutes to drive to Troy's place and she knocked softly on his front door. He opened it seconds later, causing her to blush when she saw he was only in his boxers.

"What's up?" he asked, tiredly.

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"Cause I realized it's not my place to tell him, it's yours."

She smiled. "Thank you, Troy."

He grinned and shrugged. "It was nothing."

She moved closer to him and hugged him, catching him off guard. He stood there, shocked, for a few minutes before wrapping his arms around her. He missed holding her and he could tell she missed it too.

"I should go," she whispered and pulled away.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want him to think you were doing something you claimed you weren't doing." She giggled and shook her head.

"Bye, Troy." She walked back towards the elevator and he watched her.

He made sure she got on the elevator before whispering, "Bye, Ella." He sighed and closed his door.

When Gabriella got home, she changed out of her clothes and took her place beside Daniel.

"Where did you go?" he asked tiredly.

"Just to thank someone." He nodded and slipped back into a deep sleep. She smiled softly before falling asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: don't own_**

**A/N: okay so if you read the new chapter of BD then you probably already know that I'm in Georgia with hardly any wifi connection or internet connection in general. Yeah I kinda can't wait to get back to NY. The roaches out here are huge and they fly. Not to mention the waterbugs and the spiders. I hate them all with a passion. Spiders more so since I have arachniphobia. Anywho. On with the story.**

_Chapter 14_

Over the last few days that she stayed in Albuquerque, Gabriella spent most of her time at Taylor's house. Much of it was spent with Troy. Ever since he convinced Daniel that she hadn't been lying about the night they were at the club, she started to warm up to him. Daniel noticed her new attitude around him, especially the last day they were in Albuquerque when he was over at the Danforth house with her.

"Hey, Gabi, wanna play a little b-ball with us?" Chad asked.

"You know I'm no good at it."

"Oh, come on, Ella. You know you want to," Troy said and she smiled, shaking her head.

"Fine, but I'm not playing on a team of my own."

"I'll be on your team," Chad said.

"No fair," Troy whined and Gabriella giggled.

"Deal with it you big baby."

"I'm not a baby."

"Yeah, yeah. Just hand me the ball." He grinned and handed her the ball.

Daniel watched from his seat next to Taylor as the game started. He wanted to ask Taylor about the history behind Troy and Gabriella, but he didn't know where to start.

"Hey, Taylor?"

"Yeah."

"What's the deal with Troy and Gabriella?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what was their history like?" Taylor froze and cleared her throat.

"I-I think that's something she needs to talk to you about."

"Why?"

"Cause it's not my place to tell."

"Why not?"

"What has Gabriella told you?" she asked, avoiding the question.

"That she and Troy used to date and they ended on a bad note." Taylor stared at him before shaking her head and getting up. "What?"

"Nothing."

"No really, what?" Taylor sighed and looked at him.

"She's got a lot to tell you," she said before going inside. Daniel watched her go before turning back to the game. He watched as Troy picked Gabriella off her feet and threw her over his shoulder.

"Troy!" she squealed with a giggle.

"Hey, put down my teammate," Chad said.

"Or what?"

"Nothing." Gabriella crossed her arms and glared at Chad.

"Some teammate you are."

"Sorry, Gabs, but it's bros before hoes." She glared at him with her mouth agape. "Not that you're a hoe but...you get it, right?"

"I think what he means is that guys take other guys' backs before they take girls' backs," Troy stated.

"Which is why all guys suck."

"Hey!" Daniel yelled from the sidelines.

"Except you, honey," she said with a smile and he smiled back. Troy looked at Chad and rolled his eyes. Even though he helped save their relationship, he still wasn't all for them being together. He didn't think he would ever be all for someone being with _his_ Gabriella. "Can you put me down now?" she asked.

"What's the magic word?"

"Please." He smiled and just as he was about to put her down, he got a bright idea. He spotted Chad's pool at the far end of the yard and he smirked. He walked over to it and she tried to figure out what he was doing. "What are you doing?" He didn't answer and she tried to turn her head to see behind her. "Troy, I'm not kidding, put me down."

"Okay," he said and dropped her into the pool. She screamed as she hit the surface and when she came back up, she found Troy and Chad laughing. Daniel tried to stifle a laugh as he went over to help her.

"Oh, mature, Troy, _real_ mature," she said as she got out.

"Come on, that was funny."

"No, it wasn't."

"Even Danny boy thought it was funny." She looked at Daniel, her eyes asking him if it was.

"I'm sorry, Gabriella, but you gotta admit it was," he said with a laugh.

"See." She rolled her eyes and walked away from the three laughing guys.

"Men suck. Maybe I should become a lesbian," she said to herself, not realizing that the guys could still hear her.

"Ha," Troy laughed. "Try all you want, but that'll never happen and you know it won't. The day you get into girls is the day I confess my undying love for Chad." She flipped him off and walked into the house.

"Dude, not cool," Chad said.

"I'm not serious. I love you as a brother."

"You better only love me as a brother." Chad followed Gabriella inside. Troy chuckled and shook his head, following Chad. Daniel stood there, still stuck on the comment Troy had made about Gabriella. He knew he was missing something there. He shook it off and followed the others inside.

After changing into dry clothes, one of the only fitting clothes Taylor had left, Gabriella went into the living room where everyone else was. She sat on Daniel's lap and couldn't help but notice the look on Troy's face when she did it.

"So you're all coming to the wedding right?" Daniel asked.

"Of course," Taylor said and Chad nodded.

"What about you, Troy?" Gabriella turned to Daniel and was about to open her mouth to speak when Troy spoke up.

"If Gabriella will let me." She turned around and found his eyes on her.

"If you want to," she said.

"Sure."

"Great. Write down your address and we'll send you an invite," Daniel gushed. Troy nodded and took a pen and piece of paper. He wrote down his address, all the while taking glances at Gabriella.

"Hey, do you have Kelsi's address?" Gabriella asked.

"No. We lost contact a while back."

"Aww, I wanted to invite her."

"I know how you feel. I wanted her to come see the baby. You're coming back to see the baby, right?" Taylor asked.

"I don't know about Daniel, but I sure will," Gabriella answered.

"Good, cause I don't want you to miss this."

"Especially since you're the godmother," Chad said and Gabriella gasped.

"Really?" Taylor nodded and Gabriella got up to hug her best friend. "This is so awesome."

"Now who's acting like a kid?" Troy asked with a grin and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't hate on something you can't have."

"Oh? Didn't they tell you? I'm the godfather." She looked at Taylor and Chad with her mouth open.

"Are you serious?"

"He is Chad's best friend," Taylor said.

"So? Make him an uncle or something."

"Ha. Yeah right," Troy said getting up.

"I don't get it. You two were having a good time before and now you're fighting over something so small," Chad said.

"We have mood swings," Gabriella answered with a shrug.

"No, you have mood swings. I'm perfectly fine," Troy said and she looked at him.

"Perfectly fine? Sure and pigs can fly."

"I've seen one fly before."

"In your dreams maybe." He looked over at her and smirked.

"Flying pigs aren't the only thing I see in my dreams."

"Jackass."

"Bitch."

"Bastard."

"Slut." Her mouth dropped open and she went to retaliate, but Taylor stopped her before she could.

"Okay, you two. Why don't you go outside and cool off?" They both headed to the back door. "Troy go to the front of the house." He rolled his eyes and went the opposite direction. The back and front door slammed at the same time and Taylor sighed, sitting on the couch. "Those two are unbelievable."

"Yeah. Were they always like this?" Daniel asked.

"Most of the time, yeah. One minute they would be fighting over nothing and the next they would be all over each other," Chad said. "But of course now that she's with you that's not gonna happen," he said quickly noticing the look on Daniel's face.

"I think they're just going back into the old routine of being nice to each other one minute and at each other's throat the next. Now that they've set some common ground between them, they're going back to how they used to be without all the making out and stuff," Taylor said. "They were really close when they were dating, almost like best friends aside from being together." Daniel nodded and looked towards the back door.

Gabriella stood against the wall and stared at the sky. She loved the sunset. She loved the colors that flashed across the sky when it happened.

"Anything interesting up there?" She turned her head and saw Troy standing next to her. She shook her head and looked back at the sky.

"Just the colors," she said and he looked at her. "Isn't it beautiful?"

He grinned and crossed his arms. "You always loved the sunset and the sunrise." She looked at him and smiled softly.

"You remembered?"

"Of course. How could I have forgotten?" Her smile dropped and she pushed off the wall, walking away from him.

"I thought you would have forgotten me when you left."

"Even if I tried I couldn't forget you." He walked up behind her. "You were always in the back of my mind." She quickly turned around, not realizing how close he was. Blue locked with brown and they stared into one another's eyes. His eyes glanced down at her lips before moving back up to her brown orbs.

Before either could register what was going on, Troy leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes fluttered shut and her hands reached up to take his shirt between her fingers. His hands went to both sides of her head and held it gently as he deepened the kiss.

"Gabriella!" She quickly pulled away and looked up at Troy. "Gabriella, we need to get going!" Daniel yelled.

"I'll be right out!" she yelled back as she and Troy stared at each other. "I-I should go. I have an early flight tomorrow." He nodded slowly, staying silent. "Bye," she said quickly and went back into the house. Troy watched her leave, his heart slowly breaking apart.

"Bye," he whispered before sitting down on the grass.


	15. Chapter 15

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own though I want to_**

_Chapter 15_

She didn't want to believe what happened just happened. She pinched herself multiple times to see if she was dreaming, but when she didn't wake up, she knew it really happened. Troy kissed her and she kissed back. Bringing a finger to her lips, she traced it along them, smiling softly as she remembered the feel of his lips against hers.

"Gabriella," Daniel said, bringing her out of her trance. She quickly put her finger down and looked at him. "Are you…okay?" She nodded and he looked at her skeptically through his peripheral vision. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." He nodded and she turned back to the window. Closing her eyes, she thought about how big of a mistake it was to do that. She should have pushed him away and make it known to him that she was with someone else. Yet, she didn't do that. She kissed him back, making it seem as if she still wanted him. Did she still want him? _"No. I have Daniel. Why would I want to be with Troy again when he broke my heart?"_ She sighed and opened her eyes, staring out the window. _"Because even though he left you with a broken heart, you still love him."_

They arrived at her house minutes later and she quickly jumped out, leaving Daniel to wonder what was wrong. She ran into the house and went up to her room without a word to her mother. Theresa looked at her retreating daughter before turning to her future son-in-law, who was just as confused as she.

"I'll go talk to her," Daniel said before climbing the stairs to Gabriella's room. He knocked gently on the door, opening it when a soft 'come in' came from the other side. "Hey," he said and she turned around from her spot on the other side of her bed.

"Hey."

"Okay, something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong."

"There has to be. I mean you just stormed up to your room without saying a word to me or your mother. That means there's something wrong."

She sighed and turned back around, staring out the door to her balcony. Not once did she go out onto her balcony the time she spent there. She didn't know why, she just guessed she never got the chance.

"Gabriella, you gotta tell me what's wrong," he said as he moved around to her side of the bed. He sat down beside her and touched her hand. "We're gonna be married in a few months and we have to be able to tell each other everything."

"I know, I just…this whole vacation has really brought back memories for me and it's hard to take it all in, especially now since we're leaving in the morning," she lied. "I miss being here."

"I know you do. You'll have more time after the wedding to come visit again."

"I guess that's true."

"See, a solution to it all." She smiled and sighed softly.

"Thanks, Daniel." He nodded and pulled her closer to him.

"Anytime." She wrapped her arms around him and he kissed her hair.

-

-

During the flight back to New York, Gabriella stayed as quiet as a mouse. She knew she would never get over what transpired between her and Troy and she doubted she wanted to. In her head, however, she knew she had to. She couldn't dwell over the kisses of another when she knew she would soon be married to someone else.

Daniel was worried about Gabriella. He'd never seen her so withdrawn since the day he saw her after two years and it scared him. How could one trip back to her hometown effect her so much? He knew she would never give him any answers, so he sought help in the only person who could; her father.

"Sorry I can't tell you that," Franklin said to his future son-in-law.

"Why not?"

"Cause it's not my place."

"That's what Taylor said."

"And she's right. If Gabriella wants you to know, then she'll tell you. The rest of us have no right to tell you what happened in her past."

"But what if she never tells me?"

"Then she doesn't tell you. Simple as that."

"We're getting married. We're supposed to tell each other everything."

"Well, yes you're getting married, but that doesn't mean she has to tell you everything."

"It doesn't?"

"No. Of course it doesn't. It all depends if she loves you or not."

"So you're saying she doesn't love me?"

"She does, just not enough to tell you everything." Daniel stared down at the cup in his hands and thought about what Franklin was saying.

"_How can she not love me enough to tell me her past? She swore to me when we first said we loved each other that I meant more to her than anything. Was that just a lie?"_

"Sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but I have someplace I need to go."

"Oh. Sorry to keep you. I guess I'll be on my way." Franklin nodded and Daniel put the cup on the coffee table before standing up. "Thanks for talking with me."

"You're welcome."

"Bye."

"Bye and good luck with Gabriella." Daniel nodded and left his future father-in-law's apartment. He headed over to Gabriella's place and knocked on the door, only to have April answer.

"Hey, April, is Gabriella here?"

"Yeah. She's in her room."

"Thanks." April nodded before leaving the apartment. Daniel walked to the last door in the hallway and knocked softly.

"Come in." He walked into the room and spotted Gabriella sitting by her window, staring out at the rain.

"Hey."

She turned her head and smiled. "Hey." He smiled back and walked over to her, sitting down in front of her.

"How much do you love me?"

"What?"

"How much do you love me?"

"More than anything."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then why won't you tell me about your past with Troy?" Her smile fell from her face and she looked down at her hands that lay folded in her lap. "I went to talk with your father today and he told me the only reason why you won't tell me anything is because you don't love me enough. Is that true?"

"Of course it's not."

"Then why won't you tell me?"

She sighed and got up from her spot in the window. "Because."

"Because what, Gabriella?"

"I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm afraid!" The room became silent as they both stared at each other. Gabriella was the first to break the connection, taking a seat on her bed.

"Of what?" he asked softly. "What are you afraid of?"

"Of what you might think."

"That's total bullshit." She glanced up at him, surprised at his outburst. Daniel was too sophisticated to curse in anyway. "I know you're lying about that." She laughed dryly and looked back down at her hands. "What's so funny?"

"You saw right through that while Troy didn't."

"You talked to Troy about this?" he asked, taking a seat beside her.

"Yeah. Remember when you asked me about mine and Troy's confrontation in my backyard?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, I went over to Taylor's to talk to her about it but she wasn't home. Troy came over to drop something off, which I forgot to ask what it was, and he told me about this guy across the street whose favorite numbers were 911. Long story short, we ended up going back to his apartment and just talked. I told him about our little argument and he asked me why I didn't want to tell him. I gave him that excuse that I was 'afraid of what you might think.' He thought I was being serious." She looked up and saw the distant look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just…I can't believe you talked about our relationship problems with your ex. I thought that one time with the whole issue with me thinking you were sleeping with him was it, but it turns out it wasn't." He stood up and walked over to the window.

"Daniel…"

"That time I could understand because I accused both of you, but this…"

"Daniel," she said standing up.

"I-I should go." He walked out of her room and left her apartment. The second she heard the door close, she fell onto her bed and looked out the window. Troy seemed to have caused more problems than she thought. Sighing, she got up and went to take a shower.

After her shower, she situated herself in front of the television and powered up her laptop. She knew she needed to leave him alone for now and that he would eventually call to work things out. Hours past and her phone never rang.

April came home after sundown and spotted her roommate sitting on the couch staring at her cell phone. She sighed and walked over to the couch, sitting beside Gabriella.

"Staring at the phone won't make him call you."

"I know, but I thought he would by now."

"Maybe he forgot. Why don't you call him for a change?" Gabriella nodded and picked up her phone, dialing Daniel's apartment. When no one answered, she closed her phone in a huff.

"He's either not home or not answering."

"Call Amber. Maybe she's spoken to him." She dialed Amber's number and waited.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Amber."

"Hey, Gabriella. What's up?"

"Have seen or spoken to your brother in the past few hours?"

"Oh, yeah. He said he was going to visit our parents in New Haven." Gabriella sighed in relief. "Why? What happened?"

"Nothing. Thanks for letting me know where he is. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," Amber said with uncertainty. "Later." Gabriella ended the call and turned to April.

"He went to New Haven to visit his parents." April nodded and smiled.

"At least now you don't have to worry about him doing something stupid."

"He's Daniel Tyler; he doesn't do anything stupid." Gabriella got up and went into her room. She wanted to believe he wouldn't do anything stupid, but he was a guy and when guys were upset, they did something stupid.


	16. Chapter 16

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer:...I wish_**

**A/N: okay, if you guys haven't gone to see 'The Dark Knight' yet, I strongly suggest it. Heath Ledger's performance in it is nothing like I've ever seen. But I also suggest you be 14 and over because it is a really dark movie. I'm not usually one to say stuff about people and the characters they like, but one girl was a little bit too into it on her profile. She obviously worships Sharpay and wrote that Sharpay is a more unique name than Gabriella. Uh, yeah, except for the part where she's named after a Chinese breed of dogs. I like Sharpay, sometimes, but her name...yeah. I've never seen anyone with her name and I think the whole dog allusion is why. Sure it's not spelled the same but it's said the same. I hope this doesn't offend any Sharpay lovers cause I wasn't saying it to offend any of you. The girl just got under my skin by saying that. Anyway, moving on. There's a sex scene at the bottom. You know the drill except this time I bolded the entire last word so it's easier to see.**

_Chapter 16_

**Four Months Later**

Was it wrong for him to dream about her? Maybe for her it was. He, however, found nothing wrong with it. He found nothing wrong with dreaming about kissing her again. His feelings for her were as strong as they were before he left. He was in love with her then; he is in love with her now. Nothing changed how he felt about her; nothing could ever change how he felt about her. Not even knowing that she was engaged to someone else made him feel any different about her. It is a strange emotion, love. You can either love a person or be _in_ love with a person. Troy not only loved Gabriella, but he was in love with her also. She meant more to him than life itself.

Staring at her from across the terminal didn't help at all. He should have just walked over to her and told her he was there to pick her up as a favor to Taylor, but he was afraid of what she would do to him. He did, if he recalled, kiss her the day before she was set to leave back to New York and her fiancé was in the next room. He doubted he would be able to stop himself from doing it again now that her fiancé was nowhere in sight. Sucking up his courage, he walked over to where she stood by the baggage claim.

"Hey," he said and she looked at him.

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Tay wanted me to pick you up since both she and Chad were busy."

"Oh."

"You want help with that?" he asked referring to her bags.

"Yes. Thank you." He nodded and picked up her suitcases.

"What do you have in here, bricks?"

"Uh, no, just clothes."

"I was joking, Ella."

"O-Oh. I knew that." He grinned and shook his head.

"Let's get going." She nodded and followed him out the door. He packed her things into the trunk of his car and jumped into the driver's seat where she was patiently waiting in the passenger's. He took off out of the parking lot and headed towards her mother's house. The ride was silent with inconspicuous glances being taken by each person. "I'm sorry," he said, breaking the silence.

She looked over at him. "For what?"

"You know what." He sighed and she turned her head away from him, her eyes looking at her hands. "I didn't mean to do what I did. I just…I felt like I did when we were dating. You remember how it was? When we would get into those meaningless fights and then…"

"We'd be making out right after," she said and he glanced at her. "Yeah, I remember those days."

"Well we got into a meaningless fight and it was like an impulse. I was just so caught up and you were just so close. I couldn't help myself."

"But Daniel was right there. How could you do it knowing we could've been caught?"

"I don't know. I guess I didn't think."

"You sure didn't think."

He smirked and shook his head. "And you think I'm the only one who didn't think? If I recall correctly, you kissed me back."

"I-I…it was just a spur of the moment thing."

"Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever you say."

"It's true. I would never cheat on Daniel intentionally." His smirk faltered as he glanced over at her. Daniel better have known what kind of woman he had with him. Gabriella wasn't someone to take advantage of. He learned that the hard way. He cursed himself everyday for letting her go.

They pulled up to her mother's house minutes later and he helped her get her bags out of the trunk. Upon passing her bags to her, their hands touched and they looked up, blue connecting with brown. He wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss her right there. She cleared her throat and he snapped out of his trance, releasing the bag from his grasp.

"Thanks for picking me up," she said sheepishly.

"It was just me doing a favor. Nothing more." She smiled and nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay." He gave her a short smile before walking back to the driver's side. He hopped into his car and drove off. She watched him leave before turning to her old house and walking up to the front door.

"Gabi, you're back," her mother said as she opened the door.

"I told you I would. I had to come see Tay's baby."

"Oh, he is so adorable. She came over yesterday to tell me about the time change for his Christening." Gabriella nodded and tried to stifle a yawn. "You must be tired from your long trip. Go upstairs and get some sleep."

"I'm okay, ma."

"No, you're not. You're tired. Now go." Gabriella smiled and hugged her mother.

"I'll see you in the morning." Her mother nodded and Gabriella walked up to her room. She set her bags by her dresser and walked towards her balcony. Her balcony was probably the one thing she missed most about her house. She loved this little piece of her history. Leaning against the banister, she closed her eyes and thought back to one time that she wanted to forget but found it hard to.

**July 4, 2008**

It was a usually warm evening for New Mexico. Fireworks still exploded through the night at far off distances. Gabriella stood pushed up against her front door as Troy's tongue explored the contours of her mouth. His mouth detached from hers and made their way down to her neck, seeking out the spot that made her go crazy.

"Troy," she moaned and he nipped on the sensitive spot on her neck. Her fingers wound their way through his dirty blonde hair as she pushed her body closer to him, wishing for the much needed friction.

He stopped giving attention to her neck and brought his face back up to hers. "Have I told you how sexy you look in this dress?" he asked, looking down at the dress he bought for her a month ago. He loved it for the fact that it barely covered her down there and she looked down right gorgeous in it. She grinned and shrugged.

"Maybe a hundred times tonight."

"Then let's make it a hundred and one. You." He kissed her forehead. "Look." He kissed her nose. "Damn." He kissed her cheek. "Sexy." He kissed her lips. "In this dress." He kissed her lips again, this time letting his linger close to hers. He rubbed his nose against hers, kissing the way the Eskimos do, before looking into her eyes. "You gonna miss me?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Hey you never know." She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm gonna miss you."

"You better miss me." He smirked and kissed the side of her mouth, letting it linger close to her ear.

"I'll miss you every time I lie in bed alone," he whispered. She smiled and twisted a piece of his hair between her fingers.

"You don't have to be alone tonight," she whispered and he nodded before moving to look her in the eyes.

"I don't, but I have an early flight tomorrow. Orientation starts at twelve and it's a two hour flight." Her smile dropped and he softly caressed her cheek, a sad smile playing on his face. "You know I would love to stay the night, but I can't." She nodded and broke away from him. "Ella."

"No. It's okay," she said looking at the ground. "Y-You should go." He nodded and tried to touch her, but she evaded him. "I'll see you at Thanksgiving." She went inside and closed the door. Leaning up against the surface, she took a few seconds to recompose herself. This is what she didn't want to happen. He would be off to a city, a new state and would probably forget about her. She didn't want him to forget. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she slowly walked up to her room, hoping that maybe it would slow down the time.

She walked into her room and closed the door behind her. Sighing, she walked over to her balcony and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Troy standing there.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why else would I be here?"

"I thought you had an early flight?"

"I do," he said pushing off the banister to walk towards her. "But I'd rather spend the rest of my last night with my girlfriend than alone." She smiled and he touched her cheek. "Besides I can always sleep on the plane."

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're unbelievable."

"Why, thank you." He leaned in close to her ear and smirked. "I know you'll be saying that after I blow your mind tonight," he whispered before leaning down and placing his lips on her neck. She moaned and quickly became jelly in his grasp. He pushed her against the banister and hoisted her legs up, wrapping them around his waist.

**R**unning his finger tips along her back, he quickly found the zipper to the dress and pulled it down. His fingers made their way back up to her strapless bra and unhooked the clasps one by one. Her moans were soft and low, that way she wouldn't wake her mother or the people who lived around her, but they were enough to make him grow hard. Tightening her grip on his waist, she could feel his erection poking her in the leg.

His hands reached up to push both sides of her dress from her shoulders and followed through until they were resting on her breasts. She wanted to release a loud moan that sat in her throat, but she knew she couldn't. Sensing her desperation, he planted his lips on hers and let her moan into his mouth. She wound one hand through his hair while the other grasped the banister underneath her, her fingernails digging into the wood.

His mouth placed butterfly kisses from her mouth down to her neck and up to her earlobes. He nipped at the little piece of flesh covered cartilage and she ground her hips against his subconsciously. The more he sucked on it, the more her back arched. Moving his hands down to her thighs, he ran soft circles on her skin before pushing up her dress to her waist.

"Troy…I want you," she whispered as she dragged her hand along his clothed chest. A soft growl was admitted from his throat when her fingernails began dragging underneath his shirt along his abs.

"Fuck, Ella. You don't know how much I want you too." She grinned as he began nipping at her neck. She brought her hand to the first button of his shirt and slid it through the slit before starting on the next one. It wasn't long before every button was unhooked and she was able to slide her hand down the whole of his chest. Sliding the shirt off his shoulders, she began attacking his shoulder blade.

He lost focus on her neck and just enjoyed the feeling of her lips on his skin. He could painfully feel his erection asking to be free from its bond in his pants and hissed in response. She heard him and looked at his face. She could see the pain and she looked down.

"Aw, baby. Does it hurt?" He nodded and she smiled, kissing his lips as she undid his belt, unbuttoned his button and unzipped his zipper. She pushed his pants, forcefully to the floor and pulled him closer to her. He grabbed her waist and kissed her harder. She moaned against his lips and rocked against his hardened member, telling him she wanted him. He growled and took her lower lip between his teeth. His hand moved towards her panty line and tugged at the lacy fabric.

"Why won't this move?" he whined.

"It's lace, baby. It doesn't tear that easily." She unwrapped her legs from around him and stood up. He watched as she slid her underwear off and rewrapped her legs around his waist. He slid his boxers off and positioned himself at her entrance. He slid himself inside of her and she threw her head back in ecstasy. "Troy," she moaned as her body moved with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

He buried his face into the crook of her neck as he buried his member inside of her. He moved back and forth for a few minutes before he could feel himself reaching his climax. Connecting his mouth with hers, their tongues intertwined as they came **together**.

"I'm gonna miss this," she said as she leaned her forehead against his.

He grinned and touched his nose to hers. "I'm gonna miss you." She smiled and he kissed the tip of her nose. "I should go," he said and stepped away from her. Her smile faltered as she watched him dress. She crossed her arms across her chest, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He looked at her, noticing her attention was on the ground. Taking her chin in between his thumb and forefinger, he brought her eyes up to his and kissed her softly. "You coming to say goodbye?"

She looked away and bit her lip. "I don't think I can."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think I can handle saying goodbye to you." She looked into his eyes. "I _know_ I can't handle saying goodbye to you."

"Then this is the last time I'll see you?" She nodded and looked away, feeling herself on the brink of tears. "Bye." He made his way down the tree and she stood with her back against the banister. "If you change your mind," he said and she turned slightly to look at him. "My flight leaves at eight thirty." She watched him leave before going to get ready for bed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: Wishing and hoping_**

**A/N: wow. I didn't realize how short this was until I went to edit it. oh well. not much happens this chapter. If you only read this story and not BD(which I doubt) 'Taking Over Me' has been turned into a youtube series and I hope all of you to go watch, rate and comment(the last two if you have a youtube account). The link for the first episode is in my profile. Please and Thank you.**

_Chapter 17_

The next day at the church, Troy and Gabriella were quiet around each other. Neither knew what to say to one another. Yesterday was awkward to say the least. Talking about their encounter the last time she was there wasn't really a topic they wanted to discuss, but they knew they had to and was glad that it was over and done with. They stood side by side, watching as the priest baptized little Devon Danforth. Troy occasionally snuck glances her way, hoping to catch her attention, but she never once looked at him.

After the baptism, everyone went back to Chad and Taylor's house for a small party. For most of the party, Gabriella was the one holding little Devon. Troy watched from afar as she played with the basically smaller version of Chad. A bright smile lit her face, causing his lips to upturn too. He knew she loved kids. He knew she would give anything to be a mother. At one point in time, she almost was.

**February 13, 2011**

"Twenty year old female in labor," said one of the paramedics to the nurse.

"Okay. We're gonna move her into the maternity ward. We got a baby to deliver."

"Sir, I'm gonna have to tell you to wait out here," one of the nurses said to the blue eyed guy following behind.

"Troy…" the patient in pain said, grabbing at his hand.

"I'm the father."

"Okay, then you may come." He took her hand and followed them into the room where they were to deliver the baby.

"Troy…"

"You're gonna be alright, baby," he whispered into her ear and he grasped her hand in his. "You're gonna be just fine."

She nodded and smiled. "I can't believe in a few minutes we'll be parents."

"Hey, it might be a few hours before that baby decides to come out."

"Don't even joke like that, Troy."

"I'm not joking. I heard labor can last for hours. My mom was labor with me for days."

"Days? No way."

"Way. But you'll probably have him or her out of there before you know it." She smiled up at him before cringing in pain as another contraction overtook her body.

"Okay, Ms. Montez, how long have the contractions been apart?" asked the doctor as she came through the door.

"Six to seven minutes at the most."

"Then you should be ready to deliver soon. I'm Dr. Reynolds, by the way," she said shaking hands with Gabriella.

"Nice to meet you."

"You must be the father," she said to Troy.

"Yeah, I am," he said with a smile on his face.

"It's good to have you here. The mother can use as much emotional support as possible."

Gabriella was ready to deliver two hours later. It was a long and tiresome process that, in the end, left her emotionally and physically drained.

"Push again, Ms. Montez," Dr. Reynolds said and Gabriella pushed with all her might. "Almost there." She pushed one last time and could feel the baby slip from inside of her. She leaned her head back and breathed a breath of relief. The room, however, became silent as a wave of tension filled the air.

Troy watched Dr. Reynolds closely as she took the baby, _his_ baby, to the back of the room, not saying a word. He walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"What's going on?" he asked and Dr. Reynolds sighed.

Gabriella watched from her place on the bed as Troy talked to the doctor who delivered her baby. She knew something was wrong by the look on his face as he walked back over to her. She took his hand and he looked into her eyes, his blue eyes darker than normal.

"What's wrong?"

He closed his eyes, trying to fight back tears before he completely broke down. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"Sorry about what?" She looked over at Dr. Reynolds and the nurses and saw they wore the same look. "What happened? Where's my baby?"

"Ms. Montez, I'm sorry to tell you this but…your child, your _son_, was still born."

"W-What? No. No it can't be possible."

"I'm sorry."

"No," she cried as she put her hands over her eyes. Troy wrapped his arms around her and let her cry onto his shoulder.

**Present**

That had to have been the worst day of his life. It left the one he loved emotionally scarred. Even looking at her now, he knew she still wished their child would have lived. Sighing, he walked over to her and sat down beside her.

"Isn't he adorable?" she asked without looking at him.

Troy smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he is."

"What do you think he would have looked like?"

"Who?"

"Our son. What do you think he would have looked like?"

"I-I don't know." It was the first time since that day that she had spoken about their still born son. Gabriella wasn't the type of person to dwell on tragedies. When her grandmother died, Gabriella never once mentioned her in the past tense. She would always talk in the present tense. This was the first time he had ever heard her speak in past tense when involving a tragedy. "He probably would have had your smile."

A soft smile formed on her face as she rocked Devon in her arms. "I think…I think he would have had your eyes."

"My eyes?" She nodded. "Why mine?"

"Cause your eyes are amazing." She looked over at him, blushing at what she just said.

"Really? Cause I think your eyes are amazing." She smiled softly and looked back at Devon.

"I like this."

"What?"

"Us, not fighting. I like it." He smiled and nodded.

"So do I."

The party ended around five and everyone began to leave. Troy spent most of his time watching Gabriella with Devon, wishing that she could have had that chance long ago to be a mother.

"I should get home," she said as she handed Devon back to Taylor. "It tells me something when my mom leaves without telling me."

"Something like?" Troy asked.

"That she's about to cook dinner and will probably need some help."

"Oh. You need a ride home?" She smiled and nodded.

"Yes, please."

"Kay. See you two later," he said to Chad and Taylor. As the two exes left the house, Chad and Taylor looked at each other.

"Something's going on," Taylor said.

"Yeah, but if that something keeps going, someone's gonna end up heartbroken and I have a feeling it's _not_ gonna be Gabriella."

-

-

Troy and Gabriella arrived at her house minutes later and he turned to her.

"You wanna come to one of my gigs tomorrow?"

"You mean actually hear you sing?"

"Yeah."

"Sure I'll come. I mean it's not every day I get to hear _the_ Troy Bolton sing."

"Hardy har har. Laugh all you want, but you will be astonished and amazed by my amazing voice."

"This coming from the guy who said he didn't like to 'display his talents'," she said with a raised eyebrow. "Bullshit," she said in a coughing manner.

"You're such the comedian."

"Why, thank you. My shows are on Tuesday's and Thursday's from seven to eleven." He rolled his eyes and she smiled at him. "But seriously, I'll come. Just tell me when to be ready."

"Be ready at seven and wear something nice."

"Oh? So now you're telling me what to wear too?"

"Not really. Believe me if I were telling you what to wear then I'd be dressing you myself." He couldn't help himself. He got to be comfortable around her and when he was comfortable, he flirted. It was a habit and he couldn't help it.

"Um…"

"Sorry about that. You know how I get when I get comfortable."

"Yeah. You start flirting like crazy."

"Guilty as charged."

"I should get inside. My mom's probably wondering why I haven't gotten home yet." He nodded and she opened the door. "Bye, Troy."

"Later, Gabriella." He watched her walk up the path only to stop half way and walk back towards him.

"I know this is crazy, but…would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Uh…sure." She smiled and he got out of the car, following her to her house.

"Oh good, you're home," her mother called from the kitchen after hearing the door close.

"Mom…we have company."

Theresa popped her head out of the kitchen and smiled when she saw Troy. "Hello, Troy."

"Hi, Theresa."

"Are you staying for dinner?" He nodded. "Wonderful. Gabi, that means you have to set a place for your guest."

"Okay, mom." She went back into the kitchen and Gabriella glanced at Troy.

"I'll help you set the table," he said and she smiled.

"Thanks."


	18. Chapter 18

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer...not mine sadly_**

**A/N: the song in this chapter is called 'The Mixed Tape' by Jack's Mannequin **

_Chapter 18_

At seven, Gabriella was ready to go. As she stood in front of her mirror checking her appearance, her mother called from downstairs, telling her Troy had arrived. She quickly primped her hair and grabbed her purse before making her way downstairs. Gabriella was dressed in a plain tight fitting shirt with skinny jeans, a jacket and a pair of two inch heels, but even as she looked so simple, Troy still thought she looked absolutely beautiful.

"Hey," she said knocking him from his trance.

"Hey. Ready to go?" She nodded and followed him to the door.

"I'll be back later, ma."

"Okay, sweetheart. Have fun."

"I will." She walked out of the house, closing the door behind her and went over to his car.

"You look nice," he said.

"You told me to dress nicely." He chuckled and climbed into the driver's seat. A few minutes later they pulled up to a familiar building. "Hey, isn't this that club?"

"It is on some days. The rest it's a regular bar." She nodded and he went to find a parking space. The second he found one, she got out and waited until she could cross the street. When she got to the other side, she waited for him to join her seconds later.

When they set foot into the bar, wolf calls went around and Gabriella blushed softly, realizing they were directed at her.

"Looks like Bolton's got a new girl," someone called out.

"Finally," said another.

"Please, guys, cut that out," Troy said. "She's not my girlfriend. She's just a friend of mine."

"Aw," the bar chorused.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry to disappoint." Troy grabbed her arm and led her over to a table. "Sit." She sat down and watched as he went over to talk to someone. She looked around, noticing the various couples sitting around. "Hey, everyone." Her attention was drawn to the stage where Troy stood holding an electric guitar. The room exploded with loud applause and Troy smiled brightly. "Good to see you all again, too."

"Hey, Bolton, what are you gonna sing this time?" a guy asked from the back and Gabriella strained her neck to see who.

"I don't know. What would you guys like me to sing?"

"Sing about that girl," a female voice said and Gabriella looked to Troy. His eyes were on her and a soft smile graced his lips.

"Sure. Why not?" He put the strap of the guitar around his neck while the rest of the band set up. He set his fingers where they were supposed to be before producing a pick from his back pocket. "Okay, this is a song I wrote two years ago. It's about the girl you all know, even if you don't know her."

"We might as well with the songs you've written about her," said a guy in the back and everyone laughed.

"I guess you're right, Tim," Troy said with a laugh. "Well, I hope you all like it. Here it goes." The music started and Gabriella leaned on the table, staring intently at the man on stage.

_This is morning_

_That's when I spend the most time_

_Thinking 'bout what I've given up_

_This is a warning_

_When you start the day just to close the curtains_

_You're thinking 'bout what I've given up_

_Where are you now?_

_As I'm swimming through the stereo_

_I'm writing you a symphony of sound_

_Where are you now?_

_As I rearrange the songs again_

_This mix could burn a hole in anyone_

_But it was you I was thinking of_

_I read your letter_

_The one you left when you broke into my house_

_Retracing every step you made_

_And you said you meant it_

_And there's a piece of me in every single_

_Second of every single day_

_But if it's true then tell me how it got this way_

_Where are you now?_

_As I'm swimming through the stereo_

_I'm writing you a symphony of sound_

_Where are you now?_

_As I rearrange the songs again_

_This mix could burn a whole in anyone_

_But it was you I was thinking of_

Troy turned his eyes to her and she felt a chill go down her spine. The look in his eyes was something hadn't experience since they were going out. He grinned before closing his eyes and returning to the song.

_And where are you now?_

_And where are you now?_

_And this is my mix tape for her_

_It's like I wrote every note_

_With my own fingers_

The song ended and the entire bar erupted into applause and whistles. Gabriella glanced around at the pleased people before turning back to Troy, who had his eyes on her. She smiled and he smiled back, turning to his audience to bow. He then turned and walked off the stage. He appeared at her table seconds later and sat across from her.

"So…whatcha think?"

"Truthfully? I hated it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. If this girl you were talking about were to hear it, she would think you're too desperate."

"Oh?"

She nodded before breaking out into laughter. "I'm joking."

"You better be."

"Seriously though, I didn't know you could sing like that. Nor did I know you knew how to play guitar."

"I had some extra time on my hands from time to time and I needed a hobby."

"So learning guitar was that hobby?" He nodded just as a waitress walked over and place two cups of ice and two bottles of Heineken in front of them. "Oh, I didn't order anything."

"It's on the house, for my favorite performer and his lady friend. Enjoy," the waitress said before touching Troy's shoulder and walking away.

"I don't really drink."

"I know, but for this one night you should let yourself," he said as he poured part of the beer into her cup. He then poured his cup and lifted up his glass. "Let's see what should we toast to?"

She smiled and lifted her glass. "To a fixed friendship."

He smiled and nodded. "To a fixed friendship." They hit their glasses together softly before drinking.

It wasn't long before both were laughing obnoxiously from being wasted. Troy was telling jokes that wouldn't be funny if they weren't drunk.

"Okay, okay. I got one," he said. "A naked blonde walks into a bar with a poodle under one arm and a two-foot salami under the other. The bartender says 'I guess you won't be needing a drink' and the naked blonde says…"

Gabriella leaned over the table towards him, wondering what the naked blonde said. "What did she say?"

"I don't know. He didn't get that far." Though the joke had no ending, Gabriella found it hysterical in her drunken state. Troy, in turn, laughed with her. "We should get going."

"How? Both of us are stone drunk. There's no way we can get home." He handed her his phone.

"Here, call a cab. There's a bunch of them in my address book," he said and got up.

"Where are you going?"

"To take a piss."

She made an 'O' with her mouth and watched as he disappeared down a hallway. She flipped open his phone and went through his phone book. Her heart stopped when she saw her name, plain as day, in his phone. She couldn't believe he still had her number. She quickly pressed the call button and felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She took it out and quickly recognized the number as the same one that called her four months ago.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she quickly went to dial a cab, feeling herself sobering up. Troy came back a few minutes later and saw Gabriella sitting, sullenly staring at her phone. He retook his seat in front of her and she glanced up.

"It'll be here in a few," she said softly and he nodded.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, still staring at her phone. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" She looked up, a hard look on her face.

"That you still had my number programmed into your phone." His eyes widened and he guiltily looked away. "Well?"

"I…uh." She shook her head and stood up. He lifted his eyes to her just in time to see her make her way to the door. "Wait, Gabriella," he said, getting up to go after her. "Gabriella, will you wait a second?" he asked as they stepped into the chilly night air. He grabbed her arm and tried to get her to look at him. "Can I at least explain myself?"

"What for? I mean, it's pretty clear."

"It is?"

"Yeah. You could have explained yourself a long time ago, but no, keep me in suspense. Keep me waiting for the day when you would call and say you were sorry for leaving. Unless, of course, you weren't really sorry. You probably were planning on leaving me for months."

"Actually that part is true."

"Oh? Well that's just great. Just _perfect_. So tell me, was it someone else?"

"NO! Of course not. You were the only one in my life."

"Then why, Troy? Why did you leave?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's personal."

"Personal?" He nodded. "Oh, well then you can take 'personal' and shove it. I'm done with this."

"Gabriella."

"Just leave me alone, Troy." She walked away into the night and he raced after her. He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her close to him. "Leave me alone!" she yelled and pushed him away. He wouldn't give up. He continued to grab her hand until she was finally fed up and slapped him hard across the face. He dropped his hand and stared at her. Shock was evident in her eyes as she stared at him, not believing what she just did.

From behind him, he heard a horn honk and knew it was the cab. She also noticed it, her eyes glancing from the car to the man in front of her.

"Y-You should get home," he said softly, looking at the ground. She nodded and walked past him, rushing to the cab before it left. He listened to the sound of the door closing and the car driving away, a solitary tear running down his cheek. He reached up and wiped it away before walking to his car and driving home, not caring that he wasn't completely sober.


	19. Chapter 19

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: no..._**

**A/N: this is the chapter you've all been waiting for. the chapter that tells you what happened to Troy and Gabriella's relationship. Sorry for taking so long with this and BD. My internet connection has been sucky, BOTH of my computers have been slow and there's been too much happening in the past two weeks. Oh and so you know, I start school on Wednesday so I'm not sure when the next time I'll get to update. It all depends on my schedule and the amount of reading I'll have to do. Look out world, this girl's in college.**

_Chapter 19_

Gabriella sat in her room, reading a book she was never able to finish back in New York. Despite her deep concentration, she couldn't help but think back to last night. Never in her life had she ever struck anyone. She hated violence, so it came as a shock when she hit Troy. She knew she was angry at him, but she didn't think she was angry enough to actually hit him.

"Gabi," her mother said sticking her head through the door.

"Yeah?"

"Phone." Gabriella got up and took the phone from her mother. She went to sit back on her bed and bought it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey," came Daniel's voice from the other end.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Not much just called to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine. What about you? How's the case coming along?"

"It's coming along great. I think we have a shot at winning."

"That's great." From beside her, her cell phone began ringing and she looked at the caller id. It was that number again, the number she now knew was Troy's. "Um…Daniel, I have to call you back."

"Oh, okay. Then I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," she said and hung up the phone. She picked up her cell phone and contemplated on answering. Finally getting sick of hearing it ring, she answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey," he answered.

"What do you want, Troy?"

"I know you're mad at me, but can you at least let me talk to you?"

"Fine, talk."

"Not over the phone. Meet me somewhere?"

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Where?"

"You remember that park near my house?"

"Yeah?"

"Meet me there in ten minutes."

"Okay." She ended the call without saying another word and went to get ready. She grabbed her purse and house keys and a jacket just in case and went downstairs. "I'll be back in a little while, mom."

"Kay."

She left her house and started towards Troy's parents' house. She didn't know why she agreed to meeting him when she was still mad that he had her number in his phone and never once bothered to call her and let her know that he was still alive. Four years. _Four years_ she never heard a word from him and now she found out that he could have made contact with her. She spotted the park a few feet away and quickened her pace.

Once she was inside, she spotted the playground and went to sit on the swings. She sat patiently, swinging herself back and forth, watching the clouds go by. Minutes past by and there were still no sign of Troy. Feeling like she had been stood up, she got up off the swings and turned towards the exit; stopping when she saw Troy standing there. He arrived two minutes after she did, but the second he saw her on the swings, he didn't want to disturb her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she mirrored and grabbed her left arm, standing awkwardly. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

He sighed and walked towards her. "The reason why I never called was because I was afraid. Afraid of what you might say. In my mind, we were still in love and I was afraid that if I called after I left…you would tell me that you didn't love me anymore.

"You still should have called. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. For four years I've been wondering if you were still out there, if you were still living."

"Well, now you know how your mother felt."

"H-How did you know about that?"

"She told me. Your mom always liked me so when I came back, it was as if I never left." She looked away from him, feeling guilty about never calling her mother. "Look, I know you're mad that I never called, but you could have called me too."

"I could have if it wasn't for the fact that I deleted your number out of my phone after you left."

"You did?" She nodded.

"Of course. I was an emotional wreck when you left. At first I was upset, then I was angry and then I went back to being upset. During that time I was angry, I did the first thing I could think of and that was delete your number. I regretted it afterwards, but there was nothing I could do."

Troy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Have you told Daniel yet?"

"I haven't told him anything. He thinks that I don't love him enough to tell him so he's been concentrating more on his work for the past four months. He still cares about me and talks to me, but I feel like our relationship is strained."

"Well, that's what happens when you keep secrets."

"I don't want to keep it from him, I just…"

"I know. You're afraid of what he'll think of you." She laughed softly and shook her head.

"That's not it."

"It's not? But that's what you told me."

"I know what I told you, Troy. I told you a lie."

"So if that's not the real reason, what is?"

She looked out into the open area as the wind whipped her hair around her face. "I'm afraid of reliving it. I've been trying so hard to forget that day ever existed and by telling Daniel, it'll make all my hard work count for nothing." He walked up to her and touched her cheek, causing her to look at him.

"Running from the past will only hurt you. As much as you want to protect yourself from it, there's no way you can without hurting yourself. Believe me, I've tried."

"What do you mean?"

"After I left, I tried time and time again to move on and just forget the life I had here, but then I found out all I was doing was making myself hurt more. Your past is a part of who you are, whether you like it or not."

She smiled and nodded. "Like you're a part of who I am, whether I like it or not?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Exactly."

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, Troy."

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. "You're welcome, Ella."

They stuck around the park for a little while longer, talking about everything and anything until Gabriella felt it was time for her to go home. Troy offered to drive her home, but she declined, saying she needed time to think.

When she got home, she picked up the phone and dialed Daniel's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Daniel. It's me, Gabriella."

"Hey. What's up?"

"I think I'm ready to tell you."

**September 8, 2012**

The petite brunette sat in front of her vanity mirror, staring at her reflection. She couldn't believe this day was here. She had been waiting for this day for her whole life and it was finally here. A soft knock resounded on her door and she answered without looking away from the mirror.

"Gabi, the limo's here," Theresa said, gasping when she saw her daughter. "Oh mi hija. You look beautiful."

"Thank you, mama," she said standing up. "Do you think Troy will like it?"

"He'll love it, though I don't think it's the dress he'll be focused on."

Gabriella smiled brightly and twirled around in the long white dress that covered her body. It was the perfect fairy tale dress and she felt like a princess about to be married to a prince. Grabbing the bottom of her dress, she lifted it up and followed her mother downstairs. At the bottom stood Taylor and Kelsi, both dressed in the same navy blue dresses. They gave the same reaction as her mother and complimented her on how beautiful she looked.

All four females filed into the black stretch limo and were on their way to the church. Gabriella stared, excitedly out the window. Her stomach was in knots as the moment she had been waiting for crept closer.

"Mom," she said turning to her mother.

"Hm?"

"Is dad gonna be there?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but your dad had business to take care of back in New York."

"Oh."

"But he sends his love."

"If her father's not gonna walk her, who is?"

"Jack agreed to walk her down the aisle." Her sour mood picked up when she heard her mother mention her future father-in-law. She already loved Jack Bolton like a second father, so it was an honor to have him give her away.

The limo pulled up to the church minutes later and the chauffeur helped the four women climb out. Gabriella stared at the building in front of her. It held her future inside and she couldn't wait. She followed her two best friends and her mother inside and waited for them to say they were ready for her.

"Ah. There you are." Gabriella turned her head and saw Jack walking towards her, a smile forming on her face.

"Hey. I'm so glad you agreed to walk me down the aisle."

"Well, that's what I came to talk to you about," he said, his eyes averting from hers.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked, her smile slipping from its place.

"It's about Troy."

"What about Troy?"

"He's not here."

"What? Is he late? Cause if he is, I can wait." The entire time she spoke, Jack shook his head.

"No. He's not late."

"Then where is he?"

"Gabriella…he left. He's gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"I don't know. I just know that when I went to pick him up from his apartment, there was no one there." Gabriella put a hand to her heart as she felt it breaking from within her chest. "I'm so sorry, Gabriella."

She backed up to the nearest wall and tried to hold herself up as she felt her breath come in short. The room started to spin and her breathing became shallow. Everyone turned their eyes to her, worry etched across their faces.

"Gabriella?" her mother said before she felt herself falling. "Gabriella!" was all she heard before everything faded to black.

When she awoke, she awoke to the faces of her friends staring down at her.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You fainted when Jack told you Troy left," Chad said and Taylor nudged him. "Ow. What was that for?"

"It's okay, Tay," she said, knowing her best friend just wanted to protect her. "Do you guys mind leaving? I want to be alone for a while."

"Yeah. Sure," Taylor said as they stood up to leave.

"Chad," Gabriella said and he stopped, turning slightly towards her. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you."

"Then why did he leave?"

"I don't know. All I know is that it wasn't your fault. He loves you…a lot. I know he wouldn't leave unless he had a legitimate reason to." Gabriella nodded, a tear rolling down her cheeks.

"I hope he comes back."

"So do I." Chad left her room and she laid there, staring out the window. How could he just leave her like that? She didn't understand why he would leave without telling her why or without even saying goodbye. Crying was unavoidable as tear after tear began spilling down her cheeks. She buried her face into her pillow and cried. Cried for the wedding that never was. Cried for the future she would now never have. Cried for the man that left her behind.

**A/N: and there you have it. it may not be much, but it is painful to learn that the love of your life just skipped town the day of your wedding.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

_**Disclamier: not mine.**_

_Chapter 20_

**September 12, 2012**

She couldn't believe she was standing in front of his door. They all told her that he was gone, but something inside of her wouldn't believe that. Twisting the key in her fingers, she put it into the keyhole and opened the door. An eerie silence overcame her as she stepped into the apartment. His furniture was still in their place, but the place looked as if it hadn't been touched for days. She walked further into the apartment and went straight for his bedroom.

His bed was neatly made, but there was still many of his clothes sprawled out on the floor. Taking a seat on his bed, she glanced around the room. She took note of the empty closet, the only real sign that he was really gone. A soft sob escaped her lips as she lay down on his pillow. So many times had she lain there next to him and now she would never be able to again.

Picking up one of his shirts off the ground, she pulled it closer to her, finding it to still smell exactly like him. The smell only made her cry harder as she thought about him.

"Why did you leave me?" she asked, hoping his voice would come out of nowhere and tell her. As she sat there with his shirt close to her, her emotions started to switch on her. Anger and hurt swept through her like a tidal wave and she flung the shirt across the room. Sitting up, she took out her phone and went through her phone book. When she came to Troy's name, she pressed the _options_ button and went down to delete. _"Do you really want to delete his number?"_ she asked herself as her finger hovered above the button. _"He left me, so why shouldn't I?"_ She pressed down on the button and deleted his number from her phone.

The second his name disappeared from her phone book, a wave of regret came over her. Another sob escaped her lips and she rested her face in her hands. She couldn't take being there anymore; it was too overwhelming for her. She stood up and walked over to his dresser where an old notebook sat. Finding an empty page, she wrote him a letter, ripped out the page and left it on the bed before leaving his apartment completely, leaving the key on the stand by the front door.

**January 8, 2013**

If it wasn't for the fact that he had to pick up the rest of his stuff, Troy wouldn't have returned to Albuquerque. He didn't tell anyone he was back for fear of them asking why he left. He certainly did not want to run into Gabriella. It would be too awkward and he would feel guilty about leaving her like that.

As he walked into his apartment, the spare key on the stand caught his eye and he knew she had been there. He walked through the hallway, past the living room and into his old bedroom. He spent the next hour gathering clothes he was taking with him back to California. When he was finished, he headed towards the door but stopped to look around his old room. That's when the letter caught his eye. He set down his bag and walked over to his bed.

"_Gabriella."_

He picked up the letter and sat down on his bed. He took a deep breath before opening the folded piece of paper.

_Dear Troy,_

_I'm not mad at you for leaving; I just want to know why you left. If there's someone else, then I understand. She makes you happy. I get it. I just wish you would have talked to me instead of taking off like that. If there was no one else, then was there something wrong with me to make you leave? Did I do something wrong? I know it's useless writing this letter, knowing I'll never get an answer from you, but I want you to know…I forgive you._

_Sincerely,_

_Gabriella_

So much ran through his mind as he reread the letter. She wasn't mad at him. She forgave him for leaving. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. What he did, she didn't deserve. It was uncalled for, what he did, but he had his own demons to face and he couldn't do that around her. He got up and heard something solid hit the floor. He looked down and spotted her engagement ring. His eyes widened and he struggled to breathe. Bending down, he picked the gold ring off the floor and held it tightly in his hand.

**Present**

He had almost forgotten the letter existed. If it wasn't for the song he wrote about her, he wouldn't have remembered it. Reading it over and over, one phrase stuck out to him. _"I forgive you."_ His eyes kept reverting back to it and he couldn't help but think that she lied when she wrote it.

"_You said you forgave me, so why do you keep saying you can't?"_ Sighing he put the letter back in the box he kept it in for safe keeping and stood up. He hadn't spoken to her since they had that conversation in the park and that was three days ago. Just as he stepped into the living room, his doorbell rung and he went to answer it.

His heart stopped when he saw her standing in front of him, looking as beautiful as ever. She smiled shyly at him, biting her lip in the process.

"May I…come in?"

"Uh, sure." He moved back from the door, allowing her to step into his apartment. She walked in, nervously looking around. He closed the door and stared at her. "So, what brings you here?" he asked and she turned to him, shrugging.

"To say goodbye, I guess."

"Goodbye?"

"Yeah. I'm heading back to New York in the morning."

"But you just got here."

"I know, but with all the wedding preparations next month, I couldn't take much time off for this visit. I wish I could have spent more time with Taylor and Devon, but I have a job that I can't exactly take much time off from."

"Oh."

"Yeah…" Silence overcame the room and she sighed. "I should get going. I still have some packing to do." He nodded and she walked past him. Her hand had just touched the door knob when he spoke up.

"Why did you lie?"

"Lie about what?"

"About how you forgave me?"

"What?" She turned around, but he stayed with his back to her.

"Remember the letter you left at my old apartment? You said that you forgave me, but now you're saying you can't. Why did you write it when you knew it wasn't true?"

"Because I didn't know I was going to see you again. I thought that that part of my life was over. It's easier to forgive someone when you're not standing right in front of them. When I saw you that day at Chad and Taylor's house, I just couldn't let it all go that easily. That day you left came rushing back at full force and I couldn't make myself forgive you."

"Then you shouldn't have said anything at all. You shouldn't have given me false hope that maybe if I saw you again that you wouldn't hold it against me."

"Does it even matter anymore?"

"To me, it does. I thought that we would be able to pick it up where we left off."

"How could you have thought that? How could you have possibly thought that we would be able to pick up our relationship like nothing happened? Newsflash, Troy, life goes on. You had your chance with me and you blew it _again_. I have Daniel now and I love him."

"That's total bullshit. You don't love him and you know it."

"You don't know shit about me, Troy. You haven't since the day you walked out on my life. Do you understand how I felt that day? Do you understand the pain I felt when your father told me that you were gone? No, you don't, Troy."

"Of course I do."

"Yeah, sure you do."

"So what, you think I'm lying?"

"Yes. You left _me_, Troy. How should you know how I felt; how I'm feeling?"

"You think me leaving only affected you? Well, you're wrong. I was hurting just as much as you. You meant so much to me."

"Bullshit, Troy. I never meant anything to you."

"You meant _everything_ to me and you know it."

She shook her head. "How can I believe anything you're saying? How am I supposed to believe that I meant a damn thing to you?"

"Because."

"Because what, Troy?"

"Because I love you, God damn it!" he yelled and she stared at him. "I love you and I never stopped," he said softly, looking into her eyes. A look of sincerity flashed in his blue eyes and she knew he was telling the truth. A pang of guilt hit her heart and she looked away, feeling like she was going to cry.

"I should go," she said softly and turned to leave.

"Damn it, Gabriella, why can't you just admit that you still love me?" he asked as she stood with her back to him.

"Because I don't. I love Daniel, not you," she said tightly shutting her eyes, her hand grasping the door knob. He hit the surface of the door close to her head, causing her eyes to snap open.

"Prove it," he whispered. She stared at the door intently, trying to hold back her tears. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me."

She slowly turned around and looked into his ocean blue eyes. "I don't love you," she said softly and he shook his head, a small smirk appearing on his face.

"You always were a horrible liar," he said before crushing his lips to hers. She took no time in responding as she kissed back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers wound their way through his hair as he pushed her further against the door, trying to get rid of the space between them.

Lifting her leg up to his waist, he grabbed her thigh and ran his hand across it. It wasn't long before he had it wrapped around him. Bending down slightly, he picked up her other leg and wrapped it around him, pinning her further against the door. He ran his tongue across her lower lip and she opened her mouth, willingly accepting him.

She touched a hand to his cheek and he averted his attention from her mouth to kiss the palm of her hand. He looked back at her and saw the love shining in her eyes. He smiled before capturing her lips with his. His hands played with the hem of her shirt, pulling it up until it couldn't go anymore. It laid right above her breasts where her neck and chest connected. He put one hand on her waist, while the other took her breast between his fingers.

A soft moan erupted from her throat and he broke away from her mouth to find the spot on her neck that made her weak. As his thumb ran across her clothed nipple, she bit her lip and moved her head to give him more access to her neck. He pulled away shortly to remove her shirt, but went right back to work once it was thrown to the floor.

Pushing off the door, he carried her into his room and laid her on the bed. He stripped of his shirt and laid on top of her, nibbling away at her neck. Her hands ran down the bare plains of his back, dragging her blunt fingernails against his flesh. He reached up and kissed her jawbone before beginning to place butterfly kisses down to her belly button. Dipping his tongue into the hole, she reached up and gripped the bed sheets, moaning softly.

He kissed to the top of her jeans and pulled the zipper down with his teeth. She watched through half lidded eyes as he unbuttoned her pants and pulled them down, leaving her in nothing but her undergarments. He pushed her legs open and began leaving kisses on her inner thighs until he came close to her clothed entrance. He looked up at her before kissing her spot.

"Troy," she moaned loudly and he grinned. He did it again and she arched her body up, pushing herself closer to him. He kissed her thigh before returning up to her neck, taking one of her hands in his. Lacing their fingers together, he kissed her lips and stroked his thumb across her skin.

She knew she wanted him to look the same way she did, so she reached down with her free hand and undid his belt buckle. He smiled against her lips, figuring out what she was doing. He sat back on his legs and unbuttoned his jeans. When he pulled his pants off, he leaned back down, taking her hand in his and kissing her softly. She wrapped one leg around him and dragged the other against his side, causing him to emit a low growl from his throat.

"Do you realize what you do to me?" She shook her head and he pressed his hips against hers. She gasped as she felt his erection press against her thigh. "That's what you do to me," he whispered before kissing her roughly.

Running his hand against her side, her body lifted allowing him to reach behind her and unclasp her bra. He pulled her bra from off of her and took her left breast into the palm of his hand. In an attempt to moan, her mouth opened and he took her bottom lip between his teeth. Biting down on it softly, he caused her body to arch upward and her wet center came in contact with his stiff erection. He moaned and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Troy…I-I need you," she whispered. He nodded and brought his hand down to the top of her panties. Pulling it down in one try, he ran his hand up her thigh, listening to her moan as he came closer to her spot. He avoided it though, running his hand up her side and to the base of her breasts. She whimpered and arched her body, pushing herself closer to him. He smirked and began kissing her neck. He stripped out of his boxers and looked down to make sure he was situated correctly.

Hearing her whimper again, he pushed himself inside of her and a loud moan erupted from her lips. Finding them irresistible, he connected their lips together as their bodies became one for the first time in four years. It was a feeling they both missed as skin touched skin and body heat was exchanged. Reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair, she pulled him closer to her, never wanting this to end.

It was hard for him not to just pound into her since he wanted nothing more than to get as close to her as possible. He kept his thrusts gentle and his pace steady. Running his left hand down her side, he stopped when he got to her waist; grasping onto it. Her mouth opened slightly to release a soft moan and he took that opportunity to touch his tongue to hers.

She could feel herself on the brink of an orgasm and she locked her legs onto his thighs. Grabbing the sheets with both hands, she closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip so hard it began to bleed. When they finally came, he collapsed on top of her and buried his face in her hair.

After a few minutes, he looked up and saw that her lip was bleeding. He took it into his mouth and began to suck on it until it stopped. He kissed her once more before rolling off of her and lying beside her. He touched a hand to her cheek and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his touch. When she reopened them, the smile that was previously on her face dropped and she pulled away from him.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she stood up.

"This is."

"What?" She stopped briefly from redressing and turned to him.

"This is wrong. I'm engaged and I just willingly slept with someone else."

Troy sighed and reached for his boxers. "Not this shit again," he mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked as he slipped on his boxers and stood up.

"It means that you need to stop with this bullshit. This is the second time you willingly slept with me when you were with someone else. How is it that you feel guilty _after_ the deed is done? Huh? Why not before?" She looked away, knowing she had no direct answer for that. "I'll tell you why because you know that your feelings for me are stronger than your feelings for anyone else."

She looked into his eyes, the chocolate color glazed over by a water covering. "So what if it is? It doesn't matter anyway. I'm still going to marry Daniel whether you like it or not."

"And whether you like it or not, you're never going to love him the way you love me."

"You don't know that, Troy."

"I do know that. Why else did you break up with James after he told you _I_ was the reason he took you back? Because you knew that you couldn't feel the same feelings towards him that you felt for me. Because no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't get over me. Right now you need to stop all this 'kind-hearted' bullshit and be with me."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I won't get hurt again!" She stared at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I _refuse _to get hurt again. Daniel is my safety net."

"You're fucked up, you know that?"

"It's your fault."

"No, it's your own damn fault. Why don't you go? Go have your fairy tale wedding and get married to your prince charming. One day, you're gonna wake up and see that it isn't the life you wanted and you're gonna wish you hadn't married him."

"I was supposed to have the life I wanted, but you ruined it, remember?" He stared at her with guilt-stained eyes. "This wedding isn't my fairy tale wedding. Ours was. Daniel isn't my prince charming. You were. But you ruined it all. You ruined everything. I'm not gonna drop the one chance I have at happiness for the possibility of a broken heart."

"You're right. You deserve to be happy," he said lowly and lowered his head.

"Troy…"

"I think you should leave." She nodded and began to dress. He stood there with his eyes concentrated on the floor, not noticing her walk over to him until she was right in front of him.

She took his hand and dropped something onto his palm. She closed it and held his hand between her both of hers. "I'm so sorry, Troy." She kissed the side of his mouth before dropping his hand and walking past him.

When he heard the door slam, he reluctantly opened his hand and his heart dropped as he laid eyes on the bracelet. _"She kept it. She actually kept it."_ Anger and regret flooded his veins and he turned to the nearest wall; colliding his fist with it.

He didn't understand how something as good as what they had turned into something so bad as what it became. He wanted to just go back in time and fix everything. Slamming his fist against the top of the dresser, he knew he messed everything up. He fucked up and there was no way to fix it.


	21. Chapter 21

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: not mine_**

**A/N: you guys get a treat today, four stories updated. Why? Because I just got finished seeing HSM 3 and loved it. I can't wait for it to come on DVD. 'Can I Have This Dance?' and 'Scream' are my favorite songs. 'Can I Have This Dance?' is just absolutely beautiful and it made me emotional. 'Scream' brings out the angst in Troy that I've been waiting to see, one that was deprived of him in HSM 2.**

_Chapter 21_

**New York City**

How could something so right feel so wrong and something so wrong feel so right? She just didn't understand anything anymore. She loved Daniel, she knew that, but at the same time she still loved Troy. He was that itch that you couldn't scratch; that song that you wanted to hate, but loved. She wanted to hate him, she really did, but her heart wouldn't let her.

"Gabriella?" She brought her mind out of her trance and looked over at Daniel. "You okay?" he asked, glancing at her.

"Yeah. I'm fine," she said with a forced smile.

"So how was it?"

"It was great. Devon is such a little cutie."

"Who does he look more like, Chad or Taylor?"

"Definitely Chad." Daniel smiled and Gabriella was grateful for his conversation starter. It got her mind off of Troy and the infidelity she committed the night before. "So did you win the case?"

"Yeah. It was pretty intense at the end, but my team pulled through."

"That's good."

"How was Troy?" he asked and her heart suddenly stopped.

"What?"

"You know, how was he? Was he being the same crazy guy?"

"Oh," she said, sighing in relief. "No. Actually, he was behaving himself. He even took me to see him sing."

"He sings?"

"Yeah. I couldn't believe it either, but he's actually pretty good." Daniel nodded and the conversation died. She looked down at her hands and went to play with the bracelet, but then it hit her; she had given it back to him. She sighed and twiddled her thumbs.

"What happened to your bracelet?" Daniel asked, noticing the golden trinket was no longer on her wrist.

"I, uh, gave it back."

"Gave it back? To who? I thought it was yours."

"It was, but it was a gift and I felt that I needed to give it back."

"A gift from who?" he asked, uncertain if he really wanted to hear the answer.

She bit her lip and looked out the window. "Troy," she mumbled.

"What?"

"He gave it to me as a birthday present when we first started going out," she said turning to him.

"And you kept it this entire time?"

"Well, yeah. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Give it back. He broke your heart, remember?"

"But until four months ago, I had no way of giving it back to him."

"Then you should have four months ago."

"I couldn't part with it. It meant too much to me."

"Then what made you give it back now?"

She sighed and looked down at her hands. "I finally came to terms with the fact that…I can't be with him. I don't _want_ to be with him." A small smile graced her lips and she looked up. "I want to be with you." He smiled and reached over to take one of her hands in his.

It was a hard decision she made, but she had to make it. She wanted to move on with her life, not live in the past, and forgetting Troy was the first step towards that. Daniel was her chance at happiness and she wasn't going to let Troy destroy that.

**Albuquerque**

"_How could she?"_ he asked himself as he lied face up on his bed staring at the bracelet in his hand. Hewas stillin disbelief that she gave the bracelet back. It was a gift from him to her and yet she didn't want it anymore. That's what broke his heart the most; the fact that she didn't want it anymore. Even if they hadn't been dating, he still would have given it to her.

A loud knock resounded through the apartment and Troy turned his head towards the door. Another one broke through the silence and he got up, putting the bracelet on his night stand. He walked to his front door and opened it, surprised to see Chad standing in front of him.

"Hey, Chad. What's up?"

"Not much. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? Cause we didn't see you at the airport. We thought you would come to say goodbye to Gabriella."

"She came over last night so I said goodbye then." Chad nodded and Troy motioned him to step into the apartment. Chad walked in and Troy closed the door behind him.

"By the looks of you, I'd say it wasn't what you were expecting," he said as he watched his best friend walk over to the sofa.

Troy sighed and sat down. "She gave it back."

"Gave what back?"

"The bracelet. She gave back the bracelet. It was like a slap in the face."

"Why?"

"Because it means that she wants nothing to do with me. When she gave me the engagement ring back, I knew that our relationship was as good as dead even if I didn't want to accept it, but now…now that she gave the bracelet back, I'm as good as dead to her."

"Troy…you knew from the beginning that you and Gabriella weren't going to pick up where you left off."

"I know, but I didn't expect it to be this bad," he said looking up at Chad.

"You crushed her heart. How could you not expect it to be this bad?" Troy looked at the floor, knowing his friend was right. "Do you want to know what she asked me the day she found out you were gone? She asked me what was wrong with her and I told her there was nothing wrong with her. Then she asked, 'then why did he leave?'"

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that you didn't leave because of her. Do you know how hard it was to lie to her? I knew it was because of her you left, but I couldn't bear to tell her that. It was heartbreaking enough seeing the hurt look on her face."

"You know I would never hurt her intentionally."

"I know you wouldn't, but you did. What happened to make you even think of leaving?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"Well I don't. I have a job to get to. Not all of us can take off."

"Fine, but we are going to talk about this." Troy nodded and stood up, knocking fists with his best friend. "See ya later."

"Later." Troy waited for Chad to leave before going to take a shower.

-

-

It had been days since she returned to New York and for some reason she couldn't get into the swing of things. School was over for her and had been since she returned from Albuquerque the first time so there was nothing to occupy her mind. Still, she found it hard to get her mind on the more important things like her job and wedding preparations.

"Hey, Gabriella." She lifted her attention from the computer screen in front of her to her co-worker standing over her.

"Yeah?"

"There's a woman here to see you. She says her name is Carla Thomas." Gabriella's eyes widened at the name.

"Where is she?"

"In the conference room."

"Okay. Thanks." She stood up and made her way to the small conference room at the end of the floor. The second she opened the door, the woman sitting at the far table jolted her head up. Gabriella could clearly see that she was crying.

"Gabriella…I'm so sorry."

"Sorry about what?" she asked closing the door behind her before walking over to her. This woman was Daniel's ex-girlfriend. She had met her when she and Daniel were just friends. Things between the two seemed to be serious so it surprised her when Daniel told her they had broken up when she fled to New York after her wedding incident.

"There's something you should know," she said and took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant and…Daniel's the father."

"What? That's not possible, Daniel would never…"

"But he did. That day that you and Daniel got into that argument, he came to see me and…"

"No. I don't want to hear it. Daniel's not like that, besides he was visiting his parents."

"Do you really believe that? He wasn't visiting them, he was visiting me. I don't want it to be true either, but it is."

"How do I know you're not making this up to get back with him?"

"Why would I want to? I broke up with him. I don't want to ruin what you two have."

"Then why are you telling me this?"

"Because I thought that you should know. You deserve to know." Gabriella fell into the chair beside her and put her head into her hands. "I should go. I'm sorry, Gabriella, I really am." Gabriella listened as Carla walked away and waited for the door to close before she broke down in tears.

She didn't go home that day; instead she went straight to Daniel's to confront him about what she just learned. Her heart pounded in her chest as she made her way up the elevator to his apartment. She didn't want to believe it was true, but she knew asking him was the only way to find out the truth. When she reached his door, she knocked furiously and waited for him to answer.

"Gabriella, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Is it true?" she asked as she pushed past him.

"Is what true?" he asked, closing the door behind her.

"That you cheated on me with Carla?"

"What? No! What makes you say that?"

"She came to my job today," she said, her voice wavering from her attempt to not cry again. "You know what she told me?" He shook his head. "She's pregnant and she says it's your kid."

"And you believe her?"

"It's hard not to, she looked so sincere. Did you really go see your parents that day we had that argument?" He sighed and shook his head. "You went to see her, didn't you?"

"Yes, but how is that any different than you going to talk to Troy?"

"Because it wasn't intentional when I did it. I meant to go talk to Taylor and he was just there. You, you meant to go talk to her."

"Okay, yes I did go mean to talk to her, but nothing happened. We talked, nothing more."

"Then why is she saying that her unborn child is yours?"

"Because she wants me back. She wants me to go back to her. You can't believe I'd actually cheat on you, can you?"

"Truthfully, I don't know what to believe anymore."

"Look, I would never in a million years think of cheating on you. You can count on that. I love you and I wouldn't dare take advantage of you," he said as he grabbed her hand. "I'm not like him," he whispered and pulled her close to him. She knew he was talking about Troy and he couldn't have been more right; he would _never_ be like Troy. She only wished she knew if that was a good thing or a bad thing.


	22. Chapter 22

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I didn't own this two years ago and I don't own it now._**

**A/N: It's alive!!!! Yea, I know, I've been neglecting this story with my others.**

_Chapter 22_

**December 20, 2010**

Gabriella sat patiently in the coffee shop Troy told her to meet him at. He told her that he needed to ask her something. She wanted to know what was so important that he couldn't just ask her over the phone. Minutes later, Troy strolled through the door and walked up to her. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Follow me." She did what she was told and followed him out of the coffee shop and down the street. They soon approached a small garden and he took her inside. A smile crept along her features as she looked upon the variety of flowers. It reminded her of the garden on the rooftop he showed her before they graduated. He led her to the middle of the garden where most of the flowers laid, along with a small bench. "Sit," he said and she sat down. "Okay, so I don't know exactly how to put this," he said as he paced back and forth.

She grabbed his hand and he stopped, looking into her eyes. "What is it, Troy?"

He took a deep breath and sat down beside her. "Ella, you know that you mean _everything_ to me, right?" She nodded, unable to find where this was going. He laced his fingers with hers and kissed the back of her hand. "Gabriella, for the past two years we've been together, I found that I couldn't live without you. You were and still are the best thing that has ever happened to me." She gave him a confused look, still not understanding where he was going. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…" He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. She gasped and he went down on one knee. "Will you marry me?" he asked, opening the box to reveal a small diamond ring.

She was speechless. She would have never thought he would propose to her. Unable to find the words to say, she nodded vigorously and he smiled, slipping the ring on her finger. He leaned up and captured her lips in a soft kiss. This was everything she ever dreamed of.

"I love you, Gabriella."

"I love you, too, Troy."

**Present**

His blue eyes watched as the clouds flew by while his fingers played with the thin gold bracelet. He couldn't get his mind off of what had happened three months earlier. Her. Him. Together. Embraced in the most passionate of positions. His eyes closed as he tried to suppress the memories of that night, but images of her lust-filled eyes wouldn't leave his head.

"Troy," Chad said, causing Troy's eyes to snap open to look at his best friend. "You okay?" Troy nodded, though he knew he wasn't. He was anything but okay; he knew that and he had a feeling Chad did too.

Returning his gaze to the window, he closed his hand, encasing the bracelet in it. This was hers, whether she wanted it or not, it belonged to her and only her. It was a gift, no strings attached, not like the other gold object that lay temporarily in his pocket; its own agenda planned out in his head.

An hour later, the flight landed in LaGuardia Airport; just a few miles outside of the city. The small group consisting of Troy, Chad, Taylor and Theresa Montez made their way to baggage claim. Upon arriving, Troy was the first to notice Gabriella standing a ways off. He knew she saw him because even from a far distance, he could see the hurt in her eyes. Taylor was next, immediately running over to her best friend to wrap her arms around her.

Troy watched amusingly as the two girls made a scene in the middle of a busy airport. Gabriella's mother was next to greet the soon-to-be married twenty-six year old. Theresa wrapped her arms around her daughter as if she were never going to see her again. Chad came next, pulling her into a playful bear hug. Troy, of course, stayed where he was. He could see it on her face that she was grateful he did, it hurt him a bit, but he didn't let it show.

After collecting the bags, the party of five made their way out to the parking lot. Gabriella drove them all into the city and to a hotel that was not far from the church she was planning on having the ceremony in. They followed her to the front desk where she told the concierge of their reservations. The woman handed her the room keys and Gabriella swiftly thanked her before turning to the others.

"Everyone, including myself and Daniel, are staying in the hotel. We found it easier to keep track of people if they were in the same place. Anyway," She handed everyone their room keys, her fingers brushing gently against his; a soft but noticeable blush creeping to her face. Troy tried hard not to smile, but he couldn't help but grin at the sight. "Mom, you're in 894. Chad, Tay, you two are in 895. Troy, you're in 893," she said, speaking to Troy for the first time. "I'll be in 896 if anyone needs me. You guys can go up to your room and freshen up if you like. I have some last minute errands to run. Daniel's family is having a dinner party tonight so I need you guys to meet me here at seven."

"Any clothing preferences?" Chad asked.

"Casual, that's all. I guess I'll see you all at seven." They nodded and went up to their rooms.

It was fifteen minutes to seven and Troy found himself dressed in dress pants, a button up white shirt and a blue blazer, staring up at the ceiling. A knock came to the door and Troy sighed, standing up and walking over to the door. Chad stood on the other side, a look of worry on his face.

"What?" Troy asked.

"You've been in here for the past few hours. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Chad, I'm fine."

"Well, me, Tay and Mrs. Montez are going downstairs. You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be right down." Chad nodded and left the doorway. Troy closed the door and walked over to the bathroom. He looked into his mirror to check his hair before walking out and grabbing his room key; leaving the room.

When he got to the lobby, he spotted Gabriella and his mouth went dry. She stood talking to Taylor, wearing a dark red dress that stopped two inches above her knee. Her hair was partly pinned back while the rest fell down over her shoulders. She was beautiful and he couldn't have her.

"Troy, you okay?" Chad asked and everyone looked at him.

"Yeah," he said, shaking himself from his trance. "I'm fine."

"We should get going," Gabriella said and everyone followed her out to her car.

When they arrived at the restaurant, all but Gabriella was surprised to see the entire thing closed off to the public. They walked straight to the back and were greeted by Daniel. Troy watched as Gabriella kissed him and walked off towards who he guessed were Daniel's parents.

"Oh my God," Taylor squealed. "It's Amber Tyler, the famous fashion designer." Troy looked over to where Taylor was pointing and spotted the beautiful brunette his best friend's wife was gushing about. His eyes connected with hers and he watched as a graceful smile made its way to her lips. She made her way over to him, stopping right in front of him.

"Hi, I'm Amber," she said holding out her hand.

"Troy, Troy Bolton," he said grabbing her hand. She shook it, her eyes never leaving his.

"I can't believe you're Amber Tyler." They looked over at Taylor who had a huge smile on her face.

"Chad, come get your wife before she has a panic attack," Troy said. Chad walked up to Taylor and led her away.

"Is she always like that?"

"Actually, no. I've never seen her act that way." Amber giggled before looking back at him.

"So how do you know my brother?"

"I don't actually. I met him through Gabriella."

"Oh? And how do you know her?"

"We're, uh, we're friends from high school." She grinned. Dinner was called and everyone took a seat at the connected tables in the room. Troy sat by Amber, knowing there was no way he could sit near Gabriella without wanting to rip Daniel's head off for being able to have her.

Gabriella wasn't surprised when she saw Amber and Troy sit by each other and start a conversation, but she was, however, upset. She knew she shouldn't feel that way, but she couldn't help it. It was an old habit and old habits die hard. After dinner, Gabriella watched as Troy and Amber got up and left the restaurant. The entire dinner, she couldn't help but glance over at him and she thought that him leaving was a good idea. But now that she thought about it, maybe it wasn't such a good idea that he left her sight and for the rest of the night, she couldn't get her mind off of him; wondering what he and Amber were doing at that moment in time.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked, noticing her mood.

She turned to him and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine." For the rest of the evening, Gabriella tried her best not to think about what her future sister-in-law and her ex-fiancé were doing at that moment in time.

When they finally got back to the hotel, Gabriella said goodnight to her mother and her friends as they walked into the respective hotel rooms. Gabriella walked up to the door of her room and as she was about to swipe her key card, the sound of a door opening caught her attention. Turning her head, she watched as Amber stepped out of Troy's room with aforementioned guy behind her, half naked.

"That was fun," Amber said. "We should do this again sometime."

"We should," he said with a smirk. Amber grinned and leant up, kissing Troy on the lips.

"Night." She walked down the hallway without noticing Gabriella watching her and turned the corner.

Feeling someone watching him, Troy turned his attention to the brunette standing a few feet away from him. "Like what you see?"

She rolled her eyes. "Going back to your old ways I see."

"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're going back to sleeping around with women you don't even care about. If you wanna break somebody's heart, then go ahead, but leave Amber out of it."

"What does it matter to you who I screw?"

"In two days, she's going to be my sister-in-law. I don't want you breaking her heart."

"She knows that this is a no strings attached deal. I'm not stupid, Gabriella. I know what I'm doing."

"No strings attached? Meaning you fuck and leave, right? Is that what you did to me? Cause it sure did feel like it."

"Damn it, Gabriella, you were different and you know that."

"How the hell was I different? I mean sex is all the same to you."

He shook his head and walked up to her, pinning her against the door. She pressed her back against the surface as much as she could, but found she couldn't escape him. "That's where you're wrong," he said softly. "With Sharpay, it was fucking. With Amber, it's fucking. But with you…" He leaned in close, his mouth close to her ear. "I've never fucked you. It wasn't sex to me, it was me showing you every piece of love I could. I didn't fuck you, I made love to you whether you want to believe it or not." He placed a soft kiss to the spot below her ear before pulling away. He stood up straight, his blue eyes looking into her brown ones, lust shining through. He smirked slightly. "Goodnight, Ella."

Trying to regain her breathing, she watched as he walked back to his room and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Pressing a hand to her heart, she turned around and swiped the key card. She knew she would have a hard time sleeping after that. She stepped into her room and closed the door.


	23. Chapter 23

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: not mine_**

**A/N: this story, sadly, is coming to an end. It will most likely end at 26. It's official, I will be making a sequel to both Taking Over Me and Beautiful Disaster. My only problem is names. Anyone have any suggestions for story names for them?**

_Chapter 23_

Gabriella hadn't gotten much sleep that night, so she ended up oversleeping the next day. When she awoke, she found that she was five minutes late to her own wedding rehearsal. She quickly took a shower and headed to the church. When she arrived, she found everyone standing around.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, walking up to the front of the church.

"It's alright," Daniel said as she kissed him. "That sister of mine has yet to show up."

"Really?" He nodded. "Should we just run through this once while we wait?"

"No need to." All eyes turned to the doors and Amber walked in with Troy by her side. "Sorry I'm late everyone." She turned and kissed Troy before walking up to Gabriella. "I'm here, so let's get this thing started."

They ran through the entire ceremony a few times before calling it quits. Gabriella walked over to April, but her eyes never left the couple sitting a few rows back from the altar.

"I wonder where she picked him up at," April said.

"She didn't."

"What do you mean?"

Gabriella turned to April. "That's Troy…my ex-fiancé."

"Whoa. Whoa. Hold up. You've never told me you were engaged once before."

"That's because I wanted to forget it ever happened."

"It must have been pretty bad if you ended it with someone that looks like him."

"It wasn't bad, not at all, and he was the one who left me."

"What happened?"

Gabriella sighed. "To make a long story short, he left me at the altar."

"Seriously?" She nodded. "So why is he here?"

"Daniel invited him. Why? I don't know."

"So what's the problem?"

"A lot of things."

"You still love him, don't you?"

"No. That ship has sailed."

"Uh-huh," April responded, not believing her. "Then what problem do you have with Amber being with him?"

"He uses women and I don't want Amber to be heartbroken when it doesn't end up the way she wants it."

"So how did you end up with him if he uses women?"

"I have no idea." That was a lie. She knew how she ended up with him. He actually loved her. And truth be told, she did still love him even if she didn't want to.

-

-

A few hours later, Gabriella sat at the bar of a popular New York City club watching Amber and Troy dry hump each other on the dance floor. Jealousy boiled within her and she wished Daniel would have come with them. He, however, wasn't the club type of person so he went back to the hotel, leaving Gabriella with April, Taylor, Chad, Amber and Troy. She had no idea where Chad and Taylor had gone too and April was in the corner chatting it up with some blonde haired guy.

The song changed and Gabriella saw Amber and Troy walking towards her. She quickly turned around and took a sip of her water.

"I'll be right back. I have to use the ladies' room," Amber said before kissing Troy and walking away.

Troy noticed Gabriella from the corner of his eye and slid into the bar stool beside her. "I thought you didn't drink."

"I don't. This is water."

"Oh."

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked Troy.

"Vodka." The bartender nodded and left. "You know if you were just gonna sit here a brood all evening, you could have gone back to the hotel."

"And if you weren't such an asshole, I wouldn't be brooding."

"What did I do?"

"You hooked up with my best friend and soon to be sister-in-law."

"Is that what this is about? I hooked up with Amber and now you're mad?"

"What else would it be about?"

"You're jealous."

"I am _not_ jealous," she said and left. She walked out of the club and leaned against the wall, letting the cool night air dance over her skin.

"What the hell do you want me to do?" Her head turned and she spotted Troy standing only a few feet away. "What do you possibly want me to do?"

She pushed off the wall and walked up to him. "Tell me why you left?"

"I can't do that."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I don't want to."

She searched his eyes, hate bubbling in her veins. "_Why_ did you even come?"

"Daniel invited me."

"So what? You didn't have to come. You _shouldn't _have come. This is supposed to be the time in my life where I'm actually happy and you had to come and ruin it."

"Forgive me if I didn't want to seem rude."

"_Bull_shit, Troy. You don't care about being rude to Daniel; you just came to make my life a living hell."

"I didn't come for that at all."

"Yeah, sure you didn't. Hooking up with my future sister-in-law isn't making my life a living hell."

"So you admit that you're jealous."

"I am not _jealous_. How many times must I say it?"

"If you weren't then me hooking up with Amber wouldn't be such a problem for you."

"She is my best friend. I don't want her to get hurt."

"Like I told you before, she knows what she's getting into. I was upfront with her and told her I wasn't interested in a serious relationship."

"I wish you would have told me that before you stood me up."

"God _dammit,_ Gabriella, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"But you did, Troy. You did and it still hurts to this very day."

"I'm sorry! How many times must I say it?"

She stepped up to him. "Until you mean it."

"I do mean it, Ella. I've meant it from the first time I said it." He hesitantly touched her cheek. "You meant and still _mean_ the world to me…and nothing will ever change that."

She removed his hand from her face and took it between hers. Sighing, she looked into his eyes. "Go home, Troy. Let me live my life…_without_ you." She moved to pass him and he quickly grabbed her arm, stopping her. She turned her head and looked at him.

"Please," he said. "I love you, Gabriella."

"I know." She kissed his lips one last time before going back inside.

Troy stared at the spot where she once stood, his mind unable to comprehend anything. Gabriella leaned against the wall of the hallway of the club trying not to cry. She didn't want it to end this way, but she was better off without him, or at least that's what she tried to convince herself.

"Hey, Gabriella." Turning her head, she watched as Amber walked up to her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Oh. Okay. Have you seen Troy?"

"He's outside."

"Thanks."

"Amber?" Amber stopped walking and turned back to Gabriella. "W-What did Troy tell you he was to me?"

"That you two were old friends from high school." Gabriella nodded, looking away from the brunette. "That's not the truth is it?"

"No," she said shaking her head and looking up at Amber. "But I think he should tell you the truth. I'll see you later." Gabriella walked back into the club and Amber turned to walk outside.

She spotted Troy leaning against the outside wall and walked up to him. "Hey," she said and he looked up.

"Hey."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he responded, pushing off the wall. "You wanna head back to the hotel and continue this party there?" he asked, hoping he sounded convincing enough though he was in no mood to do anything.

She smiled. "Sure."

The two headed back to his hotel room and the first thing he did was crash his lips against hers. He wanted to forget about Gabriella. He wanted to forget the past that she and him had. He wanted to forget _everything_ they'd been through. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't bring himself to forget about her, the first girl he fell in love with. The _only_ girl he fell in love with. Amber wasn't oblivious to the fact that he wasn't entirely there.

"Okay, what's wrong?" she asked, moving away from him.

He sighed and sat up. "Everything."

"What were you and Gabriella, really? And don't lie to me."

"We were…we used to be engaged." Amber gasped and he turned to her. "I left her at the altar four years ago and now she hates me for it."

"She doesn't hate you."

"Yes, she does. I never even gave her a reason as to _why_ I left. I just…left."

"You still love her, don't you?"

Troy nodded. "Very much."

"Then show her."

"I can't. She won't let me."

"There has to be some way." He sighed and put his face in his hands. "Well, if you need any help, I'm here."

A light bulb went off in his head and he looked at her. "Actually there is something."

-

-

The alarm clock beside her went off and Gabriella reached out to press the snooze button. She went to fall back asleep, but a loud knocking interrupted her tries. Sighing, she got up and went to open the door.

"It's the day!" Amber squealed as she walked inside.

"Come on in," Gabriella mumbled before closing the door.

"Aren't you excited? You're getting married today."

"I'm too tired to be excited. When I'm fully awake, then I'll be excited." Gabriella stepped into the bathroom and turned on her shower. She walked back into her room and found April standing next to her bed. "When did you get here?"

"Just now."

"Oh." She walked to the dresser and pulled out a clean pair of underwear and went back to the bathroom.

After taking a five minute shower, Gabriella stepped out of the bathroom in only her undergarments, feeling refreshed and awake. Walking over to the dresser, she spotted something gold sitting on top. She stopped and took a closer look at it. Picking it up, she gasped when she found it to be the bracelet Troy had given her. Beside it sat a note and she picked it up.

_No matter what happens between us, this will always be yours._

_-Troy_

Gabriella smiled softly and placed the note down before putting the bracelet back on her wrist. She couldn't help but admit to herself that her wrist felt naked without it. Touching the bracelet once more, she resumed getting ready for her wedding.


	24. Chapter 24

**Love Song Requiem**

_by:LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: pft I wish_**

**A/N: sorry for making you wait on this. It gave me a bit of trouble. I don't know how many of you remember all those months ago when I broke my USB, I had actually completed this story and all of that work got lost and I really liked what I had written, so I've been trying to remember every detail I can about what was written.**

_Chapter 24_

**July 5, 2008**

Gabriella sat at her vanity, staring at her reflection. Today was the day Troy would be leaving for Los Angeles. He had wanted her to go to the airport and say goodbye, but she was afraid. She didn't want to say goodbye. She wanted to pretend like he wasn't leaving.

"Gabi?" Turning her head to the door, she saw her mother standing in the frame with a sad smile on her face. "Are you sure you don't wanna go say goodbye?"

She nodded and turned back to her reflection. "I'm sure."

Her mother sighed. "Alright, but if you change your mind I'll be in the kitchen."

She listened to her mother's footsteps walk down the hall and descend the stairs. Could she possibly take saying goodbye to the one person she loved even if it was only for a few months? Of course she couldn't.

Letting a single tear slide down her cheek, she touched the bracelet on her wrist. "I'm sorry, Troy…but I can't do it. I can't say goodbye," she whispered to her reflection.

**Present**

Gabriella paced back and forth in the back room of the church. She was about to be married in less than an hour and her nerves were running on high. April and Amber watched her, wishing she would stop.

"Gabriella, sit before you sweat out your dress," April said.

"I can't help it. I'm gonna be married soon and it's nerve racking." Her hand went to the bracelet around her arm and she smiled, forgetting her nerves for a few seconds. "Amber," she said turning to her friend and sister in law to be. "Where's Troy? I wanna thank him for giving me my bracelet back."

"Gabs, he…he left."

Her face fell. "What do you mean he left?"

"He went home this morning."

"But that's not possible. He gave me my bracelet back."

"Actually, I did. He told me to give it to you."

"But why?"

Amber shrugged. "He just told me to give you the bracelet and…" She reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope. "And this." Gabriella took it and sat at the vanity. Her fingers shakily opened it and pulled out a folded up piece of paper.

_Gabriella…Ella,_

_By time you read this, I'll probably already be gone. I'm sure Amber already gave you the bracelet. It's yours. I gave it to you as a gift with no strings attached. You deserve to have it. I wanna say once more that I'm sorry. Sorry for leaving you those four years ago, sorry for causing you so much heartache, sorry for everything I've ever done to you. You were and will always be the only woman I'll ever love with everything I am. I know deep down you feel the same, but I know you want to be happy and if Daniel makes you happy then I'm happy for you._

_I'm sorry for not telling you I left. I guess this feels like déjà vu, huh? At least this time I left a note. The reason why I left before is because…I didn't feel like I deserved you. I've never felt like I did. You were always too good for me and I always felt that I wouldn't be enough for you. That's what I was insecure about, not being good enough. Ever since our baby was born dead, I knew I wasn't good enough. You deserve better than me. If I can't even give you a healthy baby, a _live_ baby, then what am I good for? You deserve Daniel and he deserves you. I wish you both the best and remember I'll always love you, Ella._

_Troy._

Gabriella choked back a sob and placed the paper and the envelope on the vanity table. She couldn't believe he felt like he wasn't good enough for her. He was good enough for her, he always had been.

"Gabriella?" She looked up and locked eyes with the concerned looks of her best friends. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine." She composed herself and stood up. "I guess it's that time."

"You're not serious are you? Are you really going to continue to marry Daniel?" Amber asked.

"Of course."

"But Gabriella, Troy loves you more than anything on this earth. How can you just ignore how much he's hurting right now?"

"I can't," she snapped. "I can't ignore it, but what can I do? He's gone."

"Go after him," April said. "Let him know that you love him."

"But…"

"Do you love him?" Amber asked.

"What?"

"Troy. Do you love him?"

Gabriella looked at Amber, a distressed look in her eyes. "Of course I do."

Amber took Gabriella's hand and placed something in the middle of it, closing her fingers around it. "Then go after him," she said before walking away.

Gabriella slowly opened her hand and choked back a sob at the sight of the engagement ring Troy had given her sitting in her palm.

_He kept it. After all this time, he kept it._

**July 5, 2008**

He wanted to see her. He couldn't leave without seeing her. His flight was leaving soon and he had hoped that she had changed her mind.

"Flight 243 to Los Angeles International is now boarding zone A."

"Shit," he cursed, running his hand through his hair. He looked over the crowded airport, hoping to see any sign of his girlfriend, but there was no such luck.

"Flight 243 to Los Angeles International is now boarding zone B."

"Dude, we're next," Chad said, standing up and taking Taylor's hand.

"She has to come. She just has to."

"Flight 243 to Los Angeles International is now boarding zone C."

"That's us," Chad said.

"I can't believe she didn't come."

"Maybe she got caught in traffic."

Troy shook his head, knowing it wasn't possible. "No. She told me last night she wasn't coming. I guess she meant it."

"You'll see her again in a few months."

He sighed. "Yeah. Let's go."

"Troy!" His head snapped up and turned. "Troy!" His lips curled into a bright smile and he dropped his carry-on bag, running over to the brunette that was making her way over to him. The second she was in his arms, he picked her off her feet and spun her around.

"I thought you weren't coming," he said softly as he put her back on the ground.

"I wasn't." He pulled away and looked at her appearance. Hair a mess, eyes red. He never thought she looked so beautiful. "I know. I'm a total mess."

He smiled softly and shook his head, pushing her hair behind her ears. "You're beautiful." She blushed and smiled at him. "What made you change your mind?"

"I couldn't live with myself if I didn't say goodbye. I'm just…I'm not ready for this."

"Neither am I. If I could, I'd stay until school started just to be with you. But I'll call you whenever I can."

"Promise?"

He kissed her and laced their fingers together. "I promise."

"Troy!" He looked back and saw Chad motioning him over.

"Looks like it's time for you to go," she commented and he turned back to her.

He kissed her once more, letting his lips linger against hers. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He nuzzled his nose against hers before he began walking backwards. As he did, their fingers slowly pulled apart and he continued until their fingers were no longer touching. He smiled before turning and following Chad down the terminal.

Gabriella and Taylor watched sadly as their boyfriends disappeared down the tunnel. Taylor turned and wrapped her arms around her best friend, knowing this was hurting Gabriella more than it was hurting her.

**Present**

It felt like déjà vu as he sat there waiting for his flight to be called. He hoped that she would appear out of nowhere and tell him that she wanted to be with him, but he knew it wasn't possible. She wouldn't sacrifice guaranteed happiness a second time just to be with him. She knew what she wanted and it wasn't him. Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out his phone and dialed his parents' number.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi, mom."

"_Troy? Well this is a pleasant surprise. Aren't you supposed to be at Gabriella's wedding?"_

"I decided to skip it and just come home early."

"_How come?"_

"Just didn't feel up to it. Anyway. Do you think I could stay with you and dad for the night?"

"_Uh, yeah, sure. But why?"_

"I just don't feel like going back to my apartment right now."

"_Oh. Okay, well I'll make sure your bedroom is ready for you_._"_

"Thanks, mom."

"Flight 7649 to Albuquerque International Airport is now boarding zones A and B."

"My flight's boarding, ma, I gotta go."

"_Alright. I'll see you when you get home."_

He ended the called and turned his phone off, sticking it back into his pocket. Standing up, he took another look at the throngs of people around him, hoping that, just like eight years ago, Gabriella would appear.

_Except you're forgetting one thing, Bolton, it's not eight years ago. She's not yours anymore._

Sighing, he grabbed his bag and walked over towards the gate, waiting for his zone to be called. When it was, he showed the attendant his boarding pass and made his way to the plane.


	25. Chapter 25

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: no and that's all I have to say_**

**A/N: so I have one more chapter of this story to go and then it, like the others, will be done. There is a sex scene so you know the drill.**

_Chapter 25_

"_You sure you don't need me to pick you up?"_

"Yes, ma, I'm sure. I parked my car in the garage before I left."

"_Oh, alright. Then I'll see you when you get here_."

"Mom, I, uh, I actually changed my mind. I'm gonna go back to my apartment."

"_You are? But I thought…" _Silence over took the line. _"Troy, you aren't doing what I think you're about to do, are you?"_

Sighing, he nodded. "Yeah."

"_Leaving is not the answer. You're only going to be hurting yourself."_

"I know that, mom, but…maybe that's what I deserve. Look, I gotta go, but I promise I'll come visit before I go."

He listened to her sigh, mentally seeing the distressed look on her face. _"Okay."_

"Love you, mom."

"_I love you, too."_

Ending the call, he stood in baggage claim and waited for his suitcase. He knew his mother was right, that he shouldn't leave, but he felt like he had no choice. Staying in Albuquerque meant remembering everything that happened between him and Gabriella; good times and bad. He didn't want to remember any of it. He just wanted to move on with his life, just like she was.

Troy sat in his car, silence overtaking him as he made his way to his apartment. The first thing he was going to do was pack whatever he could, that way he could go see his parents one last time before he left. Looking at the clock on the dashboard, Troy wondered what Gabriella was doing at that moment. Was she happy? Was she thinking about him?

_Of course she's not thinking about you, Bolton. She's happily married now. You're the last thing on her mind._ Sighing, he forced back the tears that threatened to fall. He had his chance with her and he screwed it up because of his stupid insecurities. He didn't deserve her. He never did. She had someone who fully deserved her and could give her the life he never could.

Pulling into the parking lot of his apartment complex, he put the car in park and got out, leaving his suitcase in the trunk. He found no reason to take it out when he was going to leave the next day. He walked into his dark apartment and went straight into his room, not bothering to turn on any lights except for the one in his bedroom. As he slowly began to pack, his cell phone began to vibrate in his back pocket and he pulled it out.

"Hello?"

"_Troy, where are you?"_

"Oh, hey, Chad. I'm back at my apartment."

"_Albuquerque? When did you go back?"_

"Before the wedding. How was it, anyway?"

"_Well…that's the thing, it was…"_ A loud beep resounded through Troy's ear.

"Dude, I'm gonna have to call you back, someone's on the other line."

"_Oh…okay."_

Troy ended his call with Chad and answered his call waiting. "Hello?"

"_Yo, Troy, what's up?"_

"Hey, James. Nothing's up. What about you?"

"_I'm with these two fine females and one has your name all over her."_

Troy chuckled half-heartedly. "I'm gonna have to pass."

"_You sure? She's pretty banging."_

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"_You sound like you could use it though. A good fuck will take your mind off of anything."_

"No, thanks, James."

"_Alright. Then I'll talk to you later."_

"Yeah, later." He ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket. Sighing, he continued to pack his things until a knock came at his front door. "Who the hell…?" he mumbled to himself as he went towards the door. Another knock and he moved faster. "I'm coming!" He pulled open the door, his mouth dropping as he laid eyes on the brunette in front of him, dressed in white, panting like she had been running. "G-Gabriella?" Her brown eyes scanned over his face before she placed both hands on his cheek and planted her lips on his. "Wait, wait," he said, pulling away. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled softly. "To be with you."

"Why?"

"Because I…because I _love you_."

He looked at her, awestruck, before crushing his lips to hers. He grabbed her waist and pulled her inside closing the door.

-

-

"What happened to Daniel?" he asked as he drew patterns on her bare back.

She took a breath. "I still love him, but…I'm not _in_ love with him."

"Is that why you came all the way to Albuquerque in your wedding dress? Because you're in love with me?"

She nodded, smiling softly. "Always have, always will. I was just too stubborn to admit it after what you put me through."

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

She shook her head. "It's fine, but I wish you would have talked to me about what was going through your mind instead of running off like that."

"I know, but I just…I didn't know what I would say."

"And you know I don't blame you for what happened to our son."

"You may not, but I do."

"You shouldn't." She moved closer. "Things happen, Troy, things that we can't control. Maybe we weren't meant to have a child at that age. Maybe God had different plans for us."

"I wish those plans involved me coming to my senses instead of leaving you like that."

She grabbed his hand and laced her fingers through his. "I think it was for the better."

"You…you do?"

She nodded. "Like the saying says 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'. It may not have been the absence I would have liked, but it made me love you even more, because I missed you so much."

He smiled and kissed the back of her hand. "I missed you, too." He rolled onto his back and made her straddle him, his thumb rubbing circles on the skin of her stomach. "You don't know how much I've missed you."

She leant down, her dark tresses falling around them. "I think I do." She kissed him passionately and he reached up, tangling his hand in her hair.

**Placing** her hands on his chest, she slowly pushed her body against his until she came in contact with his erection. He shuddered and she grinned, reaching between them to grab him. She watched as his eyes rolled to the back of his head, enjoying the feeling.

"Shit, Ella."

She stroked him for a few more seconds before leading him to her centre. Sitting up, she slowly lowered herself onto him and waited, letting her walls accommodate him once more. Looking through half-lidded eyes, he watched as she gradually began to raise herself up before sliding back down. Her fingers curled on his chest, letting her blunt fingernails dig into his skin as the pleasure began to build. She threw her head back and closed her eyes as a soft moan escaped her lips.

Putting his hand on the back of her neck, he pulled her down and connected their lips. Holding her tightly against him with his other arm, he let instinct take over as he moved swiftly in and out of her. His need for dominance took over and he rolled them over so he was once more hovering over her. As his pace steadily quickened, she moved her hands from his chest to the plains of his back, once more sinking her dull nails into his skin.

"Troy?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He smiled, placing a kiss on her swollen lips. "I love you, too."

Burying his face in the crook of her neck, he gripped the headboard with one hand and her waist with the other as he began to mindlessly pound into her. He listened as she whimpered in his ear and his arousal grew. He bit down softly on the skin of her collarbone and she moaned, reaching up to grip his hair. Common sense was too far gone for him to stop what he was doing. The feeling of his tip hitting her cervix pushed him over the edge and he pulled out. Thinking he was done, she was caught off guard when he unexpectedly pushed back in, once again hitting her back wall.

"Oh…_shit_! Shit, shit, _f-fuck_!" she screamed as her eyes popped open.

He chuckled. "Someone's got a dirty mouth," he said before doing it again.

His slow pace was quickly replaced by a much faster one and she couldn't control what came out of her mouth. He placed his lips on hers as he continued to pump in and out of her. Tightening her grip on his back, she felt her body convulse as she had an orgasm. Even as her walls lifted their vice grip on his shaft, he continued to slowly thrust into her until he ejaculated. He collapsed on top of her and waited a few minutes before removing himself from inside **her.**

"Well, that was different," she said and he laughed.

"Yeah it was." He propped himself onto his elbow and turned to look at her. "But you can't tell me you didn't like it."

She turned her head. "Of course I liked it."

"Good. Cause I might start doing that more often." She giggled and he traced his finger along her jaw line. "You know I meant what I said that day in the hotel hallway." He laid his head on the pillow beside her, his mouth lined up with hers. "You've never been just sex to me. When we have sex, I pour out my heart and soul to you and you will be the only one who will ever have that privilege."

She smiled and ran her finger over his bottom lip. "I know this will probably make your ego grow, but…you're the only man who has ever touched me in that way."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I've never been intimate with another man. Though I know you've been with many other girls, I'm glad that I'm the only one who meant something to you. But I have to ask, did you ever use a condom?"

"Before we got together? No. After the wedding incident? Yes."

She sighed. "I hope I don't catch anything."

He chuckled and kissed the finger that was still on his lips. "Don't worry, my love, I'm not diseased."

She smiled. "Good."

"Now you have to tell me," he pulled her closer, "how did you break it to Daniel?"

"I didn't. April did."

"Seriously?" She nodded. "So you just left and told your roommate to give him the news?"

"Yep. Amber drove me to the airport. We arrived too late to catch you so she got me a ticket on another flight that was leaving thirty minutes after yours."

"So…you were actually going to intercept me?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile.

"It would have been July 5th all over again."

She nodded. "Except either you would have stayed or I would have gone with you."

"I bet everyone was staring at you, wondering why someone dressed ready to be married was running around an airport."

She laughed nervously. "Yeah, that was quite embarrassing, but at the time, all I cared about was finding you."

He grinned and touched her cheek, stroking it gently with the pad of his thumb. "I want you to know something." She looked at him, an enquiring look on her face. "I want you to know that never again will I leave you like I did. I was stupid for doing such a thing. Not only did I break your heart, but I broke mine. From now on, I will open up to you; tell you what's on my mind. I can't bear to lose you again."

Smiling softly, she turned her face into his hand and kissed the spot where the hand and wrist meet. "Will you promise me forever?" she asked, looking into his sparkling blue eyes.

"I _promise_."


	26. Chapter 26

**Love Song Requiem**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: HA!_**

**A/N: this story's over! I can't believe it's over. I had fun writing this. It's been a whirlwind of emotions with this story. Thank you to all of you, reader and reviewer.**

_Epilogue_

**Eight Years Later**

"It's Christmas! It's Christmas!"

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her only daughter screaming her lungs out. From behind her she heard a low chuckle and she turned around, staring into the cyan eyes of her husband.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Your daughter."

"If I remember correctly, she's _our_ daughter. It takes two to tango, Mr. Bolton."

"Yes, but it only takes one to give birth, Mrs. Bolton." He pulled her closer to him and placed a kiss on her exposed shoulder.

"Mommy! Daddy! Wake up! It's Christmas!" the seven year old screamed as she jumped onto her parents' bed.

"We see that, Penny, but what have we told you about yelling this early in the morning," Gabriella said and Penny covered her mouth.

"Sorry, mommy."

"It's alright, baby."

"Can I go open my presents now?"

"Such an impatient child," Troy said with a chuckle. "Of course you can go open your presents."

"Yay!" She ran downstairs and left her parents alone.

Gabriella laid back against her pillow and turned on her side to look into Troy's loving eyes. "Merry Christmas," she said softly.

"Happy Anniversary."

Her eyes lit up. "You didn't forget."

"How could I forget something like that? Eight years ago today, you became Mrs. Troy Bolton. That was the best day of my life aside from the birth of Penelope."

She smiled and moved closer to him. "It was the best day of my life, too, though it came four years too late."

He laced his fingers with hers and kissed her knuckles. "A big mistake on my part."

She sighed. "We should get up and make sure Penny doesn't make a mess out of the living room." He nodded and they got up. "So what's in store for tonight?"

"Well, first of all, I'm taking Penny to my parents house so that way we can have the house all to ourselves."

"And then?"

"And then I'm taking you out to dinner."

"Ooo. Where?" she asked as they walked down the stairs.

"It's a surprise."

"Can't you just tell me?"

"Nope. You'll have to wait and find out."

"Troy," she whined.

"It's not called a surprise for nothing, babe." He kissed her lips before they walked into the living room to spend Christmas morning with their daughter.

-

-

Gabriella stood in front of the full length mirror, staring at her nude figure. Her hands smoothed over the skin of her stomach and she smiled softly. Gabriella had a secret. She had found out a few days ago that she was with child. She was ecstatic at the revelation. She had always wanted to have another child. They had tried for three years after Penny was born, but to no avail. It seemed as if they weren't destined to have another, but now, after all this time, Gabriella was finally pregnant. Knowing it wouldn't take long before Troy would enter the room to find out what was taking her so long, she began to put on her clothes.

"Ella, you ready?"

"Yeah, I'll be right out."

It had been hours since breakfast and they had dropped Penny off at his parent's house so they could have the evening to themselves.

She stepped out of the room minutes later, fully clothed in a midnight blue strapless dress that rested mid-thigh. Her hair fell in curls around her face, framing it perfectly. She had only put on light make up, knowing that she didn't really need it. Troy loved her with and without the make-up. She made her way downstairs and was met by the approving gaze of her husband.

"You look beautiful," he said and kissed the back of her hand.

"Thank you."

He led her out of the house and to their car. Troy took her to a small restaurant at the edge of town that overlooked the river and had a clear view of the sunset. Gabriella had never seen a more romantic setting in her life.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" she asked as they sat with their hands laced on the table.

"I think you might have."

"Well, I love you more than anything else in the world. This place…this place is amazing."

He smiled. "I knew you'd like it."

"Like it? I love it. You never cease to amaze me, Troy Bolton."

She smiled softly and he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. Troy had always been a romantic when it came to her. Why? He wasn't sure. She just seemed to bring out the best in him. She made him want to be better, something no other girl could do. After ordering their food, they made small talk, settling into a comfortable ambiance, something she always wanted with Daniel, but never got.

After dinner, they took a walk by the riverside, hands locked, a comfortable silence around them. It had felt like so long ago that they just had time to themselves without having to worry about Penelope. They felt like teenagers again.

In the back of her mind, Gabriella knew she had to tell Troy that they were going to have another mouth to feed in another few months, but she couldn't bear to interrupt the feeling of the moment they had. Too lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice he had stopped walking until she felt a pull on her arm. She looked at him, confusion marring her delicate face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I should be asking you that question. You seem troubled." He pulled her towards him and put his free hand on her waist. "What's bothering you?"

She smiled softly and shook her head. "Nothing."

"Ella, I know when something's wrong."

"Can we talk about it later? I don't want to ruin the nice walk we're having."

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "As long as you're alright."

"I'm fine. I promise."

"Good. You ready to head home?"

She nodded and he led her back to the car. Upon entering the house, his lips found hers and clothes began to be discarded as they made their way up to their bedroom.

"I can't believe it's been eight years," she said as they lay naked under the sheets in a spooning position an hour later. Her fingers lazily ran over his forearm, making his arm hairs stand on edge.

"Neither can I. It feels like yesterday that we were married."

She smiled and sighed as the memory of the greatest day of her life came rushing back to her.

**December 25****th****, 2016**

They always say the third time's a charm. Well, this was Gabriella's third time getting married, second time to the same guy, and she hoped this time she would actually say those two important words; I do. She was glad Troy suggested they marry only five days prior to her previous failed wedding ceremony. She didn't know if she could wait any longer to become his wife. She loved him with all of her heart and she wanted to be his for the rest of her life. Though he had broken her heart once before in the past, she had forgiven him. She decided the past was the past and he was, and always had been, her future.

"Gabriella, are you ready?" her mother asked as she peered through the door.

She turned around and nodded. "I'm ready."

With a smile, she followed her mother out of the room and into the hallway. The ceremony was small, only consisting of close friends and family. Chad and Taylor were there, along with little Devon. Amber was able to make it down, hiding her whereabouts from her brother. April had followed Amber, helping her cover her tracks. Troy's parents were there as were hers…_both_ of hers. Gabriella had been thrilled when her father said that he would walk her down the aisle. She loved Jack Bolton like a second father, but it felt more special, more…_real_ to have her own father escorting her down the aisle. She met her father's content gaze as she walked up to him, lacing her arm through his.

"You look beautiful, Gabi."

She smiled and looked at him. "Thank you, daddy." He ushered her down the stairs and towards the back of the house.

Not wanting anything big, they decided to hold the wedding at her house and get a Justice of the Peace to perform the nuptials. After going through the stress of planning her marriage to Daniel, this was all Gabriella wanted; a simple ceremony with just her, her family, her friends and the love of her life. Catching her best friend's gaze, she nodded her head and Taylor told everyone that she was ready. The music started up as a piano ballad began to play and Gabriella gasped, recognizing the song as their song.

_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is calm_

_The music playing for only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive_

Tears threatened to fall as she walked towards her future, her one true love. Troy smiled softly at her, knowing she approved of the song he had picked. He thought she'd never looked more beautiful than she did as she made her way to him. He couldn't believe he had skipped out on this the first time around. If he knew he would feel the way he did, he would have never left. As she came to stand before him, he took her hand in his and looked into her mocha eyes.

"You remember," she whispered.

"How could I forget?" She gave him a watery smile before the Justice began the ceremony.

**Present**

She had never been more happier in her life than she had been that day, even with the birth of her daughter coming only a few months later. She had waited for eight years for the day that she would be married to the man who held her in his arms at the moment. She had almost given up hope that it would ever happen and was close to marrying another, but he showed her the right path, showed her that she still wanted to be with him.

"Ella?"

"Hm?"

"Did you know all that time that you were pregnant with Penny?"

She shook her head. "With all the stress surrounding the planning of my non-existent wedding to Daniel, I didn't give my missed period a second thought. I thought I was just stressed out and that was the reason why it was late, but after everything settled down, I knew something was wrong when I missed it again the next month."

He fell silent and kissed her bare back. She sighed and continued to run her fingers along his arm. She had to tell him. She needed to tell him. He had already brought up pregnancy by talking about when she first figured out she was expecting. This wouldn't be unexpected.

"Babe, what's wrong?" he asked, sensing the internal war going on within her mind.

"There's something I need to tell you."

He buried his chin in the crook of her neck. "Then tell me," he said, kissing her shoulder blade.

She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

He sat up and looked down at her. "What?"

She moved so she was on her back and looked into his ocean blue eyes. She reached up, taking his ear between her fingers and massaging it gently. "I'm pregnant."

His initial shock wore off and his lips uplifted into a bright smile. "Ella…that's great."

She smiled and he pushed back the sheets revealing her bare breasts and her bare stomach. He placed his large hand on her abdomen and his eyes softened, imagining the tiny life that was growing inside of his wife's womb. She placed her hand on top of his and he looked into her eyes, the mocha color shining brightly in the dimly lit room.

"I can't believe, after all this time, we're finally going to have another baby."

"I know. I nearly fainted when I found out."

He lowered his head to her flat stomach and kissed her belly button. She watched him with tired eyes, happy that he was happy. He kissed his way up her abdomen, through the valley between her breasts until he reached his destination; her soft lips. He pulled back slightly to look upon the face of his wife and his lover. Never in his life had he wanted to be any place else but where he was at that moment in time.

"Troy, what's wrong?"

He shook his head, smiling softly. "Nothing."

"No. Seriously, what?"

He chuckled. "I'm glad I'm here with you…" he leaned in close, his mouth lingering close to hers, "because there's no place else I'd rather be." She smiled and he touched his lips to hers. He pulled back seconds later, knowing she was exhausted. "You should get some rest."

She nodded and yawned slightly. "G'night, Troy."

"Night, Ella," he whispered as she closed her eyes. "Sweet dreams, my love." He kissed her forehead before collapsing in the space beside her and watched her sleep. There was definitely no other place he would rather be than with her…for the rest of his life.


End file.
